Life at the Academy
by PartofYourWorld-ArielMermaid
Summary: Sequel to Stolen Treasure. Jim and Raphaelle return for their 3rd year at the Interstellar Academy. However, after a year of normal life, they are about to face troubles that they may not be prepared for. Not pirates or kidnappings, but the stressful problems of teenage drama. This is going to be a stressful year for the both of them. JimXOC Third in my Treasure Planet Series
1. Chapter 1

Life at the Academy

Chapter 1

Normal. Such a strange word and an even stranger feeling. But after last year's fiasco with Alex, a boy from my past who strangely wound up in the same world as me, and as a pirate no less, it was a welcomed feeling.

Jim and I returned for our second year at the Interstellar Academy. Aside from the normal stresses of homework and grades, everything was normal.

The summer was filled with more singing and shows. But other than that, nothing happened. It wasn't boring, though. It was more…peaceful. Jim and I filled our days with each other's company, and a few hobbies.

Jim still had his solar surfer, which we would ride all the time. He was even teaching me how to ride. I was still a beginner, and far from being ready to take it out by myself, without him standing behind me, ready to take over should I lose control.

I took up a few hobbies of myself. After finding my sketchbook filled with drawings of him last year, Jim bought me another one. I had already filled it with sketches of fairies, mermaids, and the occasional naga. When he saw one of the half-snake, half-human drawings, he informed me that there was a species in this universe of creatures that look exactly like that. I found this quite interesting, but it was a short-lived curiosity. Jim had already bought me another sketchbook, and I was still trying to decide what I was going to put in it, since I had run out of ideas.

In addition to sketching, I had also taken up archery. It had been an old hobby of mine back in my old world, and when Jim saw how much I loved it, he suggested I buy my own bow. I took some of the treasure from Treasure Planet; I still had a most of it; and we went to town to buy one. There were very few at the weapons shop, but we had one specially ordered just for me. Soon, I had my own recurve bow with a quiver full of arrows and a target to shoot at. Jim set up a small shooting range in a secluded part of the forest behind his home. I would go out and practice all the time. I was pretty good too. I hit the bulls-eye eight out of ten times.

Silver writes to us often. It is usually under a different name, though, and our letters take much longer to reach him, since he is always moving around. But he always gets them in the end, and we enjoy writing to him. We miss him a lot, so I get really excited every time one of his letters comes around.

The summer was coming to an end, and Jim and I began preparing for our third year at the Academy. I was glad to be going back. I loved most of my classes, and I had some great friends whom I had missed over the summer. I was ready for another normal year of school.

But that wasn't what I got.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**All right! Here is the first chapter of my third Treasure Planet Story! **

**I really feel like this chapter is missing something! If you guys have any suggestions as to what that may be, please tell me. I just can't put my finger on it, but it needs something. **

**Also, I couldn't think of a good title. I may think of one later, or if you guys think of a better one as the story starts to progress, let me know. **

**This is just a little background as to what has happened in between the end of the last story and now. That means that both Raphaelle and Jim have aged a year, so Raphaelle is now 18 and Jim is 19. **

**This chapter is pretty boring, but it will get good soon. I have quite a few new characters that I will be introducing. It's gonna be awesome! **

**Leave a review! And Stay Tuned! **


	2. Chapter 2

Life at the Academy

Chapter 2

"Raphaelle, are you ready to go?" Jim called from across the hall.

"Yeah, I just gotta pack a few last minute things," I replied.

I carefully packed my music box into my suitcase before making a quick sweep of the room. I noticed my blank sketchbook on my night-table and picked it up.

"That's weird. I thought I already packed this," I mumbled to myself. But I placed it in my suitcase anyway.

I zipped up my suitcase and hoisted my duffle bag over my shoulder. I carried my bags downstairs, where I saw Jim patiently waiting beside his own bags.

"Finally," he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him and put my bags down.

Mrs. Hawkins got up from a table and gave us both a hug.

"Now, remember to stand up straight and pay attention in class," she instructed us.

"We know, mom," Jim replied.

B.E.N. jumped on the both of us and started crying.

"B.E.N. calm down. We're just going to school," I said.

"I know, sorry," he replied, pulling himself together.

"Where's Morph?" I asked, looking for the little pink blob in question.

"I don't know," Mrs. Hawkins answered. "I haven't seen him all morning."

"Well, when you do, tell him we said goodbye," I said.

"All right. Now you two better get going. You don't want to miss your ship," she instructed, opening the door.

"Bye Sarah! See you in a few months for the holidays," I said.

"Bye Raphaelle! Bye Jim! I love you," she said.

"Love you too, mom," he replied.

And with that, we headed off to take a transport that would take us to Montressor spaceport. After that, we boarded a ship that would take us to the Interstellar Academy. It was a fair distance from Montressor, but it could have been farther.

Once on the ship, Jim and I changed into our uniforms. Jim's uniform was always the same. I had a choice of either pants or a skirt to go with my uniform top. Today, I chose to wear the skirt.

I met up with Jim on the deck of the ship. There were other students milling around on the deck, but we didn't really know any of them. Most of them were new students, and they seemed a bit weary of us, even though I smiled at them and tried to be friendly.

I found Jim at the edge of the ship, leaning over the side and looking out at the sky. I walked over and leaned against the ship next to him.

"It never ceases to amaze me," I said, referring to the endless canvas of stars.

"Yeah," Jim agreed.

"Are you excited to see your friends again?" I asked.

"Yeah. You?" he replied.

"Yes. I've really missed them," I replied.

That's when I noticed a group of younger students clustered in a circle. I could just make out a small form in the center of the circle. There was a lot of laughing, and not the joking among friends kind of laughing. The group walked off, leaving the previously hidden person out in the open.

It was a small girl. She looked to be about 14 or 15, and she was wearing an Academy uniform. Her hair was a blue-green color, and I could make out tears falling down her face. She ran off to go hide behind some crates.

"I'll be right back. There's something I need to take care of," I said to Jim.

"Okay," he said, not looking at me.

I walked over to where the girl had hidden behind the crates. I found her with her head in her knees, and I could hear little sniffling noises coming from her.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

Her head shot up and she hastily wiped her tears out of her eyes. She took a shaky breath before answering.

"I'm fine," she replied, not looking me in the eyes.

"You don't look fine," I said, sitting down beside her.

"You're right, I'm not. Those other kids were picking on me," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I'm a half-breed," she said.

"What does that mean?" I asked, not familiar with the term.

"It means that my parents are two different species. My mother is human, but my father is Mutator Formarum," she explained.

"What's Mutator Formarum?" I asked.

"He's a shape shifter. He can change his appearance to look like anything," she said.

"So does that mean this isn't your normal form?" I asked.

"No, it is. I didn't get all of his genes. But I can change the color of my hair, eyes, and nails. But I don't have good control, so they usually change color depending on what I am feeling," she explained.

I looked at her hair, eyes, and nails and noticed they were all the same blue-green color.

"And they tease you because of that? I think that's really cool. Don't pay attention to what they say. They're just jealous," I said.

She smiled at me, and her eyes turned gold. I looked up and watched her long straight hair change into a yellow-gold color as well.

"Wow," I whispered. She blushed and continued to smile.

"So what's your name?" I asked her.

"Iris. What's your name?" she replied.

"Iris, that's pretty. I'm Raphaelle," I answered.

"Thanks. Your name is pretty too," Iris said.

"So how old are you?" I asked.

"Fifteen. I'm a first year. You?" she replied.

"I'm 18, and I'm a third year," I answered.

"Thanks for making me feel better. I really appreciate it," Iris said, getting up from her spot on the ground and straightening her skirt. I also got up and we walked out from behind the crates.

"Come on, there's someone I would like you to meet," I said, gesturing for her to follow me.

I walked over to Jim. When I turned around to look at her, her hair had turned to a light grey color, and her hands were clasped in front of her. I recognized her shy and fearful expression and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Jim, this is Iris. Iris, this is my boyfriend, Jim," I said, introducing the two.

"Hi. Nice to meet you," Jim said, holding out his hand to shake.

She shook his hand, and her hair immediately changed to a light orange color. Jim's eyes widened a bit, but then he smiled.

"Cool. You have shape shifter blood?" he asked casually.

"Yeah. My dad's a shape shifter," she responded.

"You excited about going to the Academy?" he asked.

"Yeah. A little nervous though," she replied.

"Don't be. You're gonna love it," he assured her.

She smiled at him, and her hair changed to a light blue color.

I noticed we were approaching our destination, so Jim and I said goodbye to Iris before going to get our bags.

The ship docked on the planet and we took a small transport that would take us to the Academy.

When we got off the transport and collected our bags, we stood in front of the gates that opened up to reveal our home for the ensuing months.

The Interstellar Academy.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**The next chapter is up!**

**So now you guys have met the first in a series of new characters! **

**I had a lot of fun creating Iris. As I am sure you may have noticed, her name means Rainbow, which was totally planned. Each different color of her hair and eyes represents a different feeling and emotion. Some websites may say different things about what the colors mean, but on the website I am using, there are a whole bunch. Usually I will try and make it clear what she is feeling. But the color interpretation is also up to you, the reader. **

**There are going to be a lot of subtle hints in this story that you may or may not pick up on. There was one in this chapter, and in the chapter before. But you guys are just gonna have to wait and see if you found the right ones. **

**For those of you who are artists, I have a book project that I am doing. Check out my deviantart journal for more information. The link is on my profile page. **

**Leave a review please! **


	3. Chapter 3

Life at the Academy

Chapter 3

Jim and I parted to our separate corridors so we could go to our rooms and unpack.

We had the same rooms that we had been given our first year, which was how it normally was unless you asked for a room change.

As I was pulling out my key, I saw Iris walk up and stop at the room next to me. She pulled out her own key and inserted it into the lock, opening the door.

"Hey, how about those odds," I said, smiling at her.

She smiled at me before going into her room.

I opened the door to my room and was bombarded by laughing and hugging figures.

"Guys, let me breathe," I gasped, trying to hold up my bags and them at the same time.

They released me and I was able to get a good look at my roommates. We three had been roommates since our first year at the Academy, and we had become instant friends.

Standing to my right was Jennifer, a feline creature like Captain Amelia. She had long brown hair that she usually left in a ponytail, though it was down at the moment, and brown cat-like eyes that matched her hair. She was quite tall, as most of the members of her species were. She always wore her Academy pants and tried to stay clear of wearing the skirt. She wasn't very girly, but she had her moments, like the one which had just occurred.

The other girl, Nerita, was quite a sight to behold. She was a creature from a planet covered in water. Her skin was actually scales, and they were all a light green color. Her hair was the color of seaweed, and her eyes matched. Her hands had a thin line of webbing between the fingers that sent green tinted shadows on the wall when the sun filtered through them. She also had a tendency to wear pants more than skirts, but she did occasionally wear her skirt, mostly on special occasions. Today, the first day of the school year, was one of those occasions.

They were both beaming and very excited to see me. I put my bags down on my bed and embraced them both.

"I've missed you guys so much! How are you?" I asked.

"Good," Jennifer answered.

"'I've been so bored this past summer. You run out of stuff to do under the water," Nerita said, making me giggle.

"Somehow, I doubt that," I said.

"How was your summer, Raphaelle?" Jennifer asked.

"It was good. Really peaceful, which is good for a change," I answered.

"Good? That's all you're gonna give us? Come on! I've been waiting all summer to get the scoop on you and hot-stuff!" Nerita exclaimed.

I gave her a look, but it came with a smile, because I knew she was only teasing. Nerita thought Jim was, and I quote, "the most gorgeous male specimen she had ever laid eyes on," so she always wanted to hear about the latest romantic gesture between me and Jim. At first, I had been worried that she might try to steal Jim away from me, but she had reassured me that she would never do that. She was too good of a friend. But that didn't stop her from teasing.

"Jim and I are the same. And don't worry, I'll tell you every single thing we did this summer, but not now. Right now, I need to unpack," I said, moving over to my bed and unzipping my suitcase.

As I started to put my clothes in the drawers and closet, I pulled out my sketchbooks. To my surprise, I found there were four of them, but I only owned three.

I picked up the two blank ones and look at each of them questioningly. Suddenly, the one in my right hand began to float, and it transformed into a laughing pink blob.

"Morph!" I exclaimed.

He flew around my head and licked my cheeks.

"Morph, what are you doing here? Pets aren't allowed at the Academy!" I reprimanded.

He looked at me with big, sad eyes, and I found that I couldn't stay mad at him.

"Oh, alright. You can stay. But you're gonna have to behave and not go wandering off without me or Jim," I instructed.

He gave me a little salute before licking my face again.

"So this is the famous Morph we've heard so much about," Jennifer said.

Morph flew around the two girls and chattered away, examining them and nuzzling their faces.

"He's so cute," Nerita said. Morph licked her cheek and buzzed around her head excitedly.

"He likes you," I said.

While Jennifer and Nerita played with Morph, I finished unpacking my clothes. I placed my sketchbooks in a drawer by my bed and my music box on top of the nightstand.

"I'll be right back. I gotta go talk to Jim. Come on Morph," I said.

Morph flew over to me and I gestured for him to go into my pocket, which he did. I walked out the door and made my way to the boys housing corridor. We were allowed to walk in the hallways of the opposite corridors, but the Academy preferred to keep the housing separated.

I walked over to Jim's room and knocked on the door. Gabriel, Jim's roommate and one of his best friends, opened the door.

I had been surprised when he and Jim had become friends. Gabriel was from a race of angel-like creatures. He could sprout wings, and he was incredibly handsome, like all members of his species. He had long blond hair, casually held back by an elastic, and light blue eyes. He had a killer smile, and he turned all heads when he walked into a room. But he was different from others of his kind. He knew of the effect he had on girls, and he was definitely a major flirt, but he didn't toy with girls, like most men of his species. He was actually a really nice guy, and he liked almost all the same stuff Jim did.

He gave me that flirtatious smile and leaned against the door frame.

"Hey beautiful, finally come to your senses and decided to hook up with this?" he teased. I rolled my eyes, but smiled at him anyway.

"Not exactly. Can I talk to Jim?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. Jim, your delusional girlfriend's here," he called. I gave him a look. He just winked at me and stepped out of the doorframe, allowing Jim to come out and close the door behind him.

"Hey. What's up?" Jim asked.

"We have a stowaway," I said.

Jim looked at me questioningly. I tapped my pocket and Morph flew out, nuzzling Jim's cheek and chirping.

"I see. What are we going to do?" he asked.

"Nothing. We're just gonna have to keep a close eye on him at all times. I have a feeling we won't be able to send him back," I explained.

"We can take turns keeping him in our rooms," Jim offered.

"All right. I'll take him this week," I said.

"Okay. I gotta go finish unpacking. See ya later," he said.

"See ya," I replied.

As I was walking back towards my room, I saw Iris outside of her room, talking to another girl with short chestnut hair. I waved to her and she smiled at me and waved for me to come over.

"Hi Iris," I said. Her hair was currently bright yellow, and her eyes and nails matched.

"Hi Raphaelle! I want to introduce you to my roommates. This is Adelaide. She's a shape shifter, just like my dad," she exclaimed excitedly.

"Hi Adelaide. Nice to meet you," I said, shaking her hand.

"Hi Raphaelle," she said, giving me a wide smile.

"So you're a shape shifter? Does that mean you can look like anything or anyone?" I asked.

In response, she changed her form so that she looked identical to me.

"Impressive," I commented.

She smiled and changed back into a girl with a short chestnut bob and grass green eyes.

"So how do people know it's you if you can change to look like anything or anyone?" I asked.

"Shape shifters can tell who people are by their aura and scent. Those who aren't shape shifters have no way of telling. But they provide us with special identification bracelets," she explained, lifting her arm to show me a small bracelet with her name on it.

"I see," I replied.

"So who's your other roommate?" I asked.

Iris's hair turned aqua, and her expression was one of sadness and concern.

"She's kinda depressed. I was hoping maybe you could help her out," she explained.

"Sure, I'll give it a try," I said.

Iris opened the door to her room and we stepped inside. A young girl with long blonde hair and blue-green eyes sat on the bed with her left side facing us.

"Angela, this is my friend Raphaelle. Raphaelle, this is Angela. She's an angel-creature," Iris introduced.

She turned to face us and I was completely caught off guard.

Her right arm was made of metal.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Another chapter. Lots of new characters in this chapter. **

**Now I am sure a lot of you are curious about Angela, and more will come. She is an angel creature, just like Gabriel, but the angel creatures wings very. Some angels, like Gabriel, as you will find out in the future, have the kind of angel wings with white feathers. But some angels have wings that resemble fairy or butterfly wings. This will come into play with Angela. **

**So yeah. I am trying to be creative in my species of people. But it can be kinda hard. I'm trying to make all the aliens humanoid so that they are easier to imagine. **

**I am running out of ideas though, so if anyone has any humoid creature ideas or half-human alien ideas, send me a message. If I use them, I will be sure to leave your name in one of my author's notes. **

**Leave a review! They really keep me going. **


	4. Chapter 4

Life at the Academy

Chapter 4

I stared at the shiny metal appendage in fascination. It was very different from Silver's mechanical arm. This one was shaped exactly like a regular human arm. There were no gears or visible tools. It looked like a normal arm, except for the fact that it was shiny and silver.

She saw me staring at it, and quickly reached for her Academy jacket.

"No, don't hide it. I'm sorry, it's just-" I started.

"Yeah yeah, you've never seen anything like it before. I've heard it all before," Angela said, not looking me in the eye.

"Actually, I have," I said.

She looked up at me, obviously surprised. I moved over to sit next to her on the bed and gave her a smile. She kept a guarded expression.

"I had a friend, well, he was more of a father to me, and he was a cyborg. His whole side was made of metal. The only reason I was staring was because your arm looks much different from his. Yours looks more like an actual arm than his did, and he had a lot of interchangeable tools and gears," I explained.

I looked in her eyes, and though she was listening intently, I could see that her pain was still fresh.

"It was a recent accident, wasn't it?" I asked.

She nodded before answering me.

"Three months ago. I'm still not used to it," she admitted.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to that arm in no time," I assured her, giving her a smile.

"It's not just my arm," she said.

I looked her up and down, trying to find another metal appendage. But I couldn't find one. She pulled off her Academy jacket and shirt, leaving her in just an open-backed tank top. She turned around to reveal that the mechanics continued over her shoulder and that a metal plate covered half her back. That's when I truly understood her pain.

"You lost your wing," I whispered.

She bit her lip and nodded, tears forming in her eyes.

"So you'll never be able to fly again?" I asked.

"No, they gave me a mechanical wing, but it's really hard to work with my other wing, and none of my friends wanted to help me after the accident," she explained.

"Why not?" I asked.

"It's a taboo for an angel not to be able to fly, so they shunned me since I couldn't figure out how to work my new wing," Angela explained.

"Well, they are not real friends. And I think I know someone who might be able to help you. I'll introduce you to him sometime. He's an angel too, and he's really nice. I'm sure he would love to help you," I offered.

"You would do that for me?" she exclaimed.

"Of course. I'll introduce you soon, but right now, I have to get ready for the first day of classes tomorrow. And you guys should too. You're gonna need a lot of paper and some folders. Teachers love it when you take notes and organize things in folders," I informed the three new students.

I got up to leave and spend some time with my other friends, when Angela spoke again.

"Raphaelle!" she said.

I turned around to look at her as I held the door open. She smiled at me, revealing the angelic smile so prominent in her species.

"Thanks," she finished.

I smiled at her and walked out the door.

I noticed some girls who I had never seen before, but appeared to be my age, open the door to the room across the hall. One of them caught me staring at them, and I gave her a smile. She just looked me up and down and entered her room. I shrugged it off and walked back into my room.

I let Morph out of my pocket and he explored the various things around the room.

"So what are we doing tonight?" Nerita asked.

"What are you talking about?" Jennifer asked.

"What? You think we're just gonna turn in early on the first day of school? We haven't seen each other in forever! A sleepover party is the perfect way to catch up on stuff!" she explained.

"I don't know, what do you think Raphaelle?" Jennifer asked.

"Hmm, okay. We can have a slumber party. But I want to invite the three girls from next door over. They are first years, but I've gotten to know some of them, and they could really use some reassurance and make some new friends," I answered.

"Alright. We'll invite them," Nerita agreed.

"Before we can do that, we're gonna need to buy some food and drinks," Jennifer exclaimed.

"Yes! A trip into town! Let's do it!" Nerita exclaimed.

"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna get my stuff ready for tomorrow," I said.

"You haven't changed a bit. Is there anything you want us to get for you in town?" Jennifer asked.

"Umm, yeah. Pick up some vanilla and cookies n' cream ice cream to put in the mini-freezer," I told them.

"Kay, see ya later," they said, heading out the door.

After preparing my backpack for the next day, I took a nap, since I knew I wouldn't be getting much sleep that night.

A few hours later, Jennifer and Nerita came back in with food, soda, chips, candy, and a couple of party games.

I went over to the room next door and knocked. Iris answered the door.

"Hey. I wanted to invite you guys to a slumber party we're having tonight. You're all invited," I said.

"Cool. Do we need to bring anything?" Iris asked.

"Nope. Just come in your pjs. and show up at 9," I said.

"Kay, see you then," she said.

"See ya," I replied.

Later that night, I changed into my light blue nightgown and got ready for the party. Nerita wore a purple tank top with a little pink squid on it, and matching shorts with a repeating pattern of the little squid. Jennifer wore long light blue pajama pants with a cloud print and a matching button up top.

At nine o'clock, we heard a knock at the door, signaling that our guests had arrived. We opened the door, letting the girls in, and the party began.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**So yes, we find out that Angela is an injured angel. But don't worry, she will learn to fly again. **

**So yeah, they are going to have a party, this is so we can know all of their stories. Though we already know some of them, we don't know their full stories. **

**Well, I don't know what else to put in this, except to check out my Treasure Planet Book project on deviantart. Link to my deviantart profile page is on my fanfiction profile page. The information about the project is in one of my journals. **

**Spring Break is over tomorrow. :(**

**Leave a review! **


	5. Chapter 5

Life at the Academy

Chapter 5

We all got comfortable on the ground in a pile of blankets and pillows.

"Your pajamas are all so cute," Nerita said.

Angela was wearing a pink silk nightgown with spaghetti straps. It revealed her cyborg parts, but she seemed a little less self-conscious about it since I talked with her. Iris was wearing white pajama pants and a white tank top with a little rainbow on the front. Her hair and eyes were currently fuchsia, and she was smiling and enjoying herself. Adelaide was wearing black silk pajamas, and she had changed her look once again. She currently looked like she was Asian, as her eyes were narrow and dark brown, and her hair was jet black and ended just before her shoulder, and her bangs hung just above her eyes. They all looked very cute in their pajamas.

"So Iris, Raphaelle tells me your hair changes color," Nerita said.

"Yeah, I have shape shifter blood. My mom is human, but my dad's a shape shifter. I didn't get many of his genes, but my hair, eyes, and nails change color depending on my mood," Iris explained.

"That is so cool," Nerita exclaimed.

"I guess it is," she replied, looking down. Her hair became black and she seemed kinda forlorn.

"What's wrong? I think it's a great gift," Nerita said.

"Well, some kids pick on me for it. I'm a half-breed, and they use that excuse to make fun of me," she explained.

"Well, don't pay attention to them. They just wish they had cool color changing hair like you. I know I do," Nerita said.

Iris smiled and her hair returned to a fuchsia color.

"What about you Adelaide? What's your story?" Jennifer asked.

"I don't really have a story. I'm a normal shape shifter. I'm the oldest of four siblings, and I studied my whole life so that I could get into this school. After I graduate from here, I'm going to go train to become a spy for the Queen's Armada," Adelaide explained.

"A spy? Why would you want to be a spy?" Jennifer asked.

"I'm a shape shifter. It's the perfect job for me. And the Queen's Armada is always looking for new agents," Adelaide clarified.

"Isn't it a bad thing that you just told us? Won't that be compromising your cover?" Nerita inquired.

"Maybe. But how will you know it's me?" she inquired. To prove her point, she changed her form to become a feline creature like Jennifer, but with a completely different look. Then she changed back to the Asian girl.

"I see," Jennifer said.

Nerita turned to Angela and opened her mouth to say something, but then she stared at her mechanical arm. Angela looked down and away, and Jennifer nudged Nerita in her side.

"Ow. What?" she hissed.

Jennifer motioned to Angela's turned face. Nerita's expression softened and she tried to find the something to say.

"So, you're an angel?" she asked.

Angela nodded, lifting her head and giving us a small smile.

"So, umm, how did…that happen?" Nerita asked, motioning toward Angela's metal arm.

"Nerita!" Jennifer hissed.

"No, it's fine," Angela said. "I was flying, and someone lost control of their boat. It crashed into me and exploded. I lost my arm, and my wing was crushed. They gave me this high-tech arm, and a new mechanical wing. But I haven't figured out how to use it, and all the other angels shunned me. Like I told Raphaelle, it's a taboo to not be able to fly," Angela explained. Tears were brimming in her eyes, but she kept them from falling.

"I'm so sorry. But don't worry. You'll fly again someday. I just know it," Nerita reassured her.

"Thanks," Angela said, smiling.

"Well, now you know our stories, but what about you guys?" Adelaide said.

"Well, I don't have much to tell either," Jennifer said. "I've worked hard my whole life so that I could get into this school. I am the youngest of six, and everyone in my family has gone to this school. I want to become a Captain, just like my brothers and sisters. I want to make my family proud."

"Short-hand version, she's a hard-worker with high expectations from her family," Nerita said, taking some chips and putting them in her mouth.

"Well, what's your story, Nerita?" Adelaide asked.

"Well, I got sick of living under water, so I applied to the school. I want to roam the universe, having adventures and kicking pirate butt," Nerita exclaimed.

"So basically, she just wants to get away from home," Jennifer said.

"So? Everyone wants to do that?" Nerita refuted.

"What about you, Raphaelle?" Iris asked.

"Well, my story is kinda complicated," I started. "I grew up in an orphanage. I never knew my parents."

All of their faces registered pity, and Iris's hair changed to navy blue.

"At 16, they were going to kick me out, so…I ran away," I stated. It wasn't the truth, but Jim and I had decided that the truth about where I came from would be our secret.

"I ran away to Montressor, where I met Jim Hawkins. Just after I met him, his mother's Inn was destroyed by pirates, and Jim inherited the map to Treasure Planet from a dying pirate," I continued.

"Oh yeah, I remember reading about you guys in the paper. That's so incredible," Iris said.

"Yeah. So we went to find Treasure Planet. We were mutinied by the pirate crew and we found the treasure, but then it was destroyed by a booby-trap that Captain Flint had set up before he died. We made it safely off the exploding planet, thanks to Jim. And along the way, he and I fell in love. I've been living with him and his mother in their new Inn that they built with some of the treasure we were able to grab before it was destroyed," I finished.

"Wow. I have to say that your story tops the rest of ours," Angela said, making us all laugh.

We played questionnaire games and ate junk food for hours. Around 2 am, we all fell asleep. I woke up at 7 am and shook everyone awake. Iris, Angela, and Adelaide left to go get ready in their room, and Jennifer and Nerita started getting ready.

I pulled on a clean Academy shirt, skirt, and my Academy jacket. After putting on some flats and clasping my locket around my neck, I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door.

"See you guys later," I said.

"Bye," they said back.

I went to my first class, which was Species of the Galaxy, a class on different species all around the galaxy.

I took my seat in class and took out a notepad and pencil. There were only a few students in the room.

As the room started to fill up, I noticed a group of six students, three girls and three boys, whom I had never seen before. I noticed the three girls were the ones I had seen the other night. They all took seats at the front of the room.

Just as the bell was about to ring, Jim, Gabriel, and Austin, Jim's other roommate, walked into the room. Austin was a dog-like creature, like Dr. Doppler, except his fur was a copper color.

As they walked in, the three new girls all turned to look at them. This was no surprise, as Gabriel always turned heads. The three of them split and Jim came to sit next to me, but not before giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey, so how did you sleep last night?" he asked, taking out his notebook.

"Oh, you know, the girl's insisted on a slumber party, so I was up till 2 am talking," I said.

"I see," Jim laughed.

The professor walked in and everyone stopped talking. As he began introductions, telling us what we would be learning this year, I took a quick sweep of the room to see who was in the class.

I was caught off guard when I met a pair of eyes.

A girl with jet-black straight hair and green eyes was glaring at me. She was with the group of new students.

I was completely confused as to why she was glaring at me. I had no idea who she was. I gave her a smile, hoping to make amends before anything had even started. But she just turned back around to face the front of the room.

I was confused for a moment, wondering why she might be glaring at me.

I had a feeling I was gonna find out soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**And here is the next chapter. So yeah, there was a repeat of two backstories, sorry you had to bear throught that. And Nerita and Jennifer don't have great stories, but hey, it had to be done. **

**So who is the mysterious girl who obviously doesn't like Raphaelle. Looks like you will have to wait and see. **

**Check out my Treasure Planet Book Project on deviantart. just go to my journal. link is on my profile page. **

**Please leave a review! **


	6. Chapter 6

Life at the Academy

Chapter 6

When the bell rang signaling class was over, I packed my stuff up and turned to Jim.

"So what class do you have next?" he asked.

"Shooting class. You?" I asked.

"Same," he replied.

"Let's go. I want to get there early so I can have time to use the bows," I said.

Jim and I walked hand in hand outside to the shooting range, where class always met. There were already some students there, including Jennifer and Austin, and the girl who had been glaring at me.

The teacher walked in and gave us a brief lesson on laser pistols before releasing us to practice. All the gun ranges were full, so I went to practice with a bow. I picked a recurve similar to the one I had at home.

The girl who had glared at me walked up to the station next to me and picked up a compound bow. She pulled back an arrow and let it go, lodging it in the ring encircling the bulls-eye.

"Nice shot," I told her, giving her a smile.

"I know," she said, flipping her hair and smirking triumphantly.

I pulled back my arrow and let it fly. It landed straight in the center of the bulls-eye. Jim was standing behind me, waiting for a turn at the guns.

"Great shot," he said. I smiled at him.

I grabbed another arrow and pulled it back. I glanced at the girl next to me, and found she was glaring at me again.

I sighed, and deliberately lowered my bow a bit at the last second. The arrow landed near the bottom of the target.

I looked over and saw the girl smirking at me. She let another arrow go, and it landed in a similar place to her first one, but on the opposite side of the bulls-eye.

When the guns cleared up, I took a turn using them. The girl never changed from her arrows.

As the bell rung, I grabbed my bag and walked up to her.

"Umm, hi. I'm Raphaelle. I couldn't help but notice that you're new here. What's your name?" I asked.

She looked me up and down disdainfully, as if contemplating whether or not I was worthy to receive her answer.

"Roxanne," she said curtly.

"Hi Roxanne. So, umm, I think maybe somehow we got off on the wrong foot. I don't know how, but I just wanted to say-" I started.

"Let's get something straight. I don't like you. No sense pretending anything. Just leave me alone and we won't have a problem," she interrupted.

She walked off, heading back towards the school for her next class.

I stood there, stunned and trying to comprehend what had just happened. I was awakened from my trance when Jim nudged my shoulder.

"Hey, you ready to go?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Let's go," I said.

Jim and I headed back to the building for our next classes. We didn't see each other for the rest of the day, but I had some classes with Jennifer and Nerita. But I didn't have any time to speak with them, since our other teachers had us working from the beginning to the end of class.

I flopped down on my bed that night, exhausted from working all day. Jennifer and Nerita were talking about who was in their classes.

"Have you guys seen those 6 new kids?" I asked them.

"Yeah. They're exchange students from a different Academy. They are gonna be here for the whole year. Why do you ask?" Jennifer responded.

"One of them, a girl named Roxanne, really made it clear she doesn't like me. And I don't know why," I admitted.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure she'll leave you alone," Nerita said. "Does anyone know what they all are?"

"The short blond guy with the goat legs is obviously a centaur. The green guy with the tail is a lizard man. The twin girls with pink hair are trolls. I believe Roxanne, the girl with the black hair, is an angel. And the tall guy with black hair, I think he's a Snacadien," Jennifer said.

"What's a Snacadien?" I asked.

"A guy with a snake tail," Nerita said.

"But I saw him. He didn't have a snake tail," I argued.

"They can transform so that they look human," Jennifer explained.

I stopped asking questions and thought about what I had just learned.

It was getting late, so I decided to turn in for the night.

For the rest of the week, I caught Roxanne glaring at me often. We had quite a few classes together, so I saw her a lot. Sometimes, I caught her glancing at Jim, which made me wonder if that was the reason she hated me so much.

But I decided to take Nerita's advice and not worry about it.

I had talked to Gabriel and he was going to meet Angela that weekend. She was nervous, but I assured her that everything would be fine.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I put on brown pants, my favorite black boots, and a red long-sleeved top.

I walked next door and knocked. Angela opened the door. She was wearing a pink tank top, which I assumed was backless, and a white jacket over it. She had on some jeans and a pair of black boots that stopped just below her knees. Her blonde hair was hanging loosely and her blue-green eyes looked anxious.

"Ready to go?" I asked, giving her a smile.

"I guess," she replied.

We went out to the flying field. Normally, it was used to practice flying boats, but there was no one there right now, so it would be perfect for helping Angela learn how to fly.

I saw Gabriel in the middle of the field and started towards him. But I stopped short, causing Angela to walk straight into me.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I didn't answer. I was too preoccupied staring at the flying figure before me.

She had black, feathery wings the width of her arm span that propelled her across the field at high speeds. She wasn't even flapping them, just gliding a couple of feet above the ground.

It was Roxanne.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Yeah! Another chapter! **

**So Roxanne is an angel. I'm sure you guys can figure out what she's gonna be like already. **

**Lots of drama coming up. **

**Don't know what else to say. **

**Oh! Don't forget to check out my Treasure Planet Book Project. Link to my deviantart page is on my profile page. **

**Please leave a review! **

**Oh! On an unrelated note, if you guys ever see any grammar mistakes that I missed, please let me know. I get annoyed when other people's stories have grammar mistakes, and I really don't want mine to have any. So if you see one, PLEASE let me know. **

**Kay. That's all I have to say. **


	7. Chapter 7

Life at the Academy

Chapter 7

Roxanne glided straight for us, then pulled up short, flapping her wings and blowing a lot of air at us. She landed right in front of me and pulled her wings into a resting position behind her back.

"What are you doing on the flying field?" she asked.

"Helping a friend," I answered.

She glanced behind me at Angela, honing in on her mechanical arm.

"Ah yes, you're the _lame _angel I've heard so much about," Roxanne said. Angela hunched her shoulders, obviously trying to make herself disappear.

"She is not lame. She can fly, she's just not used to her new wing. Now if you'll excuse me, we've got some flying to do," I refuted. And with that, we pushed past her and walked towards Gabriel.

He saw us coming towards him and smiled. He was wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a loose tank top.

"Hey gorgeous, how's it going?" he asked, flirting again.

"Hi Gabriel, I'm fine," I said, ignoring his flirty tone.

"And who might this little beauty be?" he asked, noticing Angela, which in turn made her blush.

"Gabriel, this is Angela, the girl I told you about," I introduced. "Angela, this is Gabriel."

Gabriel held out his hand to shake. Angela gingerly took it.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Gabriel said, flashing her one of his brilliant smiles.

"Hi," she said back, barely above a whisper, and also gave him a small smile.

"Raphaelle told me about your accident. I'm sorry. But don't worry. We'll get you back in the skies where you belong in no time," he said.

Gabriel started to take off his shirt, which caused Angela to turn a bright shade of red.

"Gabriel!" I exclaimed.

"What? I can't sprout my wings if my shirt is covering them," he defended.

I rolled my eyes, and he took his shirt off. He had a really nice abs, and any girl would die at the chance to feel them. I, however, was happy with Jim, and was able to restrain myself. Angela took off her jacket, leaving her in her pink backless tank top.

Gabriel's wings sprouted out of his back quicker than I could blink. They were quite a sight to behold. They were long and extended far beyond the width of his arms. He could probably wrap five people in those wings. They were covered in the purest of white feathers. He folded them behind him as he waited for Angela to sprout her own wings.

Angela's natural wing appeared before the mechanical one. It looked more like a fairy wing, as there were no feathers. It was white, and the top was arched and extended over her head a few feet. The bottom of the wing stopped under her knee. The mechanical wing took a little more time to appear. The smooth metal plate on her back parted in two, and some rods shot out, pulling a white, sail-like material, very similar to the material of Jim's solar sail, after them. It looked quite delicate, but I am sure that it was probably much stronger. The mechanical wing was identical in design to her organic one.

It was beautiful, but also sad to look at. Her wings must have been her pride and joy before the accident. They were no less beautiful now, but in the world of angels, it marked her as different and at the mercy of a mechanical world.

Gabriel was also staring at her wings, but the look on his face was one I had never seen before. I didn't have time to figure out what it was, as he regained his composure and walked around her, examining the wings from all around.

"Impressive. They really put some high-tech stuff into this wing. The material looks like it should be able to capture air just as your regular wing does," he stated.

"It does," Angela answered.

"So you have gotten into the air with this before?" he inquired.

"Yes. Getting into the air isn't the hard part. It's coordinating my wings so that they beat at the same rate that's hard," she explained.

"Can you show me?" Gabriel asked.

Angela started beating her wings. She rose a few feet in the air, but then her two wings moved at a different pace, and she couldn't keep her balance. She stopped her wings and dropped to the ground, landing on her feet.

"Hmm, I see what you mean," Gabriel said. "I think that what you need to do is practice beating them without flying whenever you can. Practice keeping them in time with each other until you can do it without thinking about it."

Angela nodded, and started to slowly beat her wings, working hard to keep them in time, but also trying not to fly.

"Good. How about we meet again, this time next week, and we'll see how much you've improved," he said.

"Sure, alright," Angela said.

Gabriel's wings disappeared, and he pulled his shirt back on. Angela's wing also disappeared, and her mechanical one retracted back, leaving the smooth metal plate covering her back. She pulled her jacket back on and smiled at Gabriel before saying goodbye.

"So, how did you like Gabriel?" I asked.

Angela blushed a deep shade of red again.

"He's really nice. And handsome," she added in a whisper.

"Angela, do you like Gabriel?" I asked.

"I don't know. Maybe?" she said.

"Is that a question?" I asked.

She shrugged.

"He's never had a girlfriend before. And he's a big flirt. You saw how he greeted me. But if you really like him, you should go for it," I said.

"You think?" she asked.

"Totally. Maybe he'll find he likes you too? Who knows? But you won't know unless you try. And now you have an excuse to see him every Saturday," I added.

"Yeah. Thanks for introducing us. I'm gonna go to my room and practice timing my wings while I do my homework," Angela said, walking off towards her room.

"Bye! See you later," I called.

I headed back to my room, since I also had a boatload of homework.

At about one o'clock, just as I was about to take a lunch break, someone knocked on the door. I opened it up to find Jim.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey, watcha' up to?" he asked.

"Homework," I replied.

"Wanna take a break and grab some lunch?" he asked.

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" I asked.

"In town," he replied.

"Okay. Let's go," I said.

We went to eat at a diner that was pretty popular among Academy students. We talked about our new classes and teachers, making fun of the way some of them acted or spoke. We had a good time.

At around three o'clock, we decided to go back. Jim had to start on his homework, and I wanted to finish mine so I could take Sunday off.

As we were leaving, I had the strange sense that someone was watching me. I looked behind me as I was exiting the door, and saw the new boy with black hair and pale green eyes staring at me. He had a mischievous grin on his face, and his eyes didn't look quite right.

As we walked back to the Academy, I realized why his eyes looked so strange.

They were snake eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**So this was a fun chapter to write. **

**I hope I described all of the wings well. **

**In case you guys can't quite imagine what Angela's wings look like. I have a link for you. My inspiration came from this drawing. Credit goes to whoever drew it. Her mechanical wing looks like that, and her biological wing looks like that too, except for** **there is no rods throughout the wings and stuff. but they have the same design. **

**Unfortunately the Link doesn't work. But if you look up 'cyborg butterfly' in the search on deviant art, it should be towards the bottom of the first page. You'll know it when you see it, because it is a girl with her arms spread out and a pair of mechanical wings coming out her back. **

**Check out my Treasure Planet Book Project. I could still use a few more artists! Link to my deviant art page is on my profile page. Or you can contact me here and I will give you a brief summary of the project. **

**Please leave a review! **


	8. Chapter 8

Life at the Academy

Chapter 8

The year progressed, and our teachers kept us busy. We all had much more work to do than we had in our previous years. But even the stresses of school couldn't distract from the glares and dirty looks.

Roxanne continued to glare at me and give me dirty looks. I tried to ignore her, but I could always feel her eyes watching me. I kept seeing her eyeing Jim, trying to catch his attention. He didn't seem to be noticing her, so I didn't worry about it.

But then the whispering started. She would whisper to her friends, and they would all look at me. I knew they were talking about me. I didn't really care what they thought of me, but when they started talking to other people, I got worried. People would turn their heads to look at me. This worried me for a while, but people still talked to me, so I guess they didn't believe whatever Roxanne was telling them.

I occasionally caught the Snacadien looking at me. I found out his name was Jaegar. The look in his eyes was strange. It was familiar, but I couldn't identify what it was or where I had seen it before. He scared me a little, but I only had my first class with him, and I had Jim with me in that class, so it made me feel safer.

Angela continued to see Gabriel every Saturday for flying lessons. I didn't come to them anymore, since I was swamped with work, so I didn't know how much she had improved.

Iris and Adelaide became best friends, though I wasn't surprised. So far, no one had bugged Iris too much about being half shape-shifter. A couple had commented, but they didn't bother her anymore.

Jennifer and Nerita were as swamped as I was, and so were Jim, Gabriel, and Austin. The whole class was overwhelmed with the amount of work we were given.

Then, two months into the year, our workload lightened up, and we were finally able to have some fun after classes were over.

When I finally had a free weekend, I decided to go and see how Angela was doing. I went out to the flying field and found Gabriel waiting for Angela.

"Hi Gabriel!" I said.

"Hey! Haven't seen you in a while. You been avoiding me?" he asked.

"I saw you yesterday morning in class," I said, arching my eyebrow at him.

"Oh, yeah," he said.

Angela walked onto the field, wearing her pink tank-top and carrying her white jacket in her arms. She smiled when she saw me.

"Hi. Are you here to watch me fly?" she asked.

"Yep. I want to see how much you have improved," I said, returning her smile.

"Well you're in luck. Today I'm gonna actually start flying in a direction other than straight up," she informed me.

"Awesome!" I exclaimed.

"Let's get started," Gabriel said, pulling off his shirt.

Angela blushed only slightly, and she stared longingly at his muscular abs. I smiled knowingly to myself.

Angela's wing appeared, and her mechanical one shifted out of her back. I turned and found Gabriel's wings had already appeared.

"Alright. Let's start the same way you did last time. Slowly start your wings moving and then speed them up until you're in the air," he said.

Angela started to beat her wings together, slowly at first, but then with increasing speed. I could tell she had been practicing a lot, since they never lost pace with each other. Soon, she started lifting off the ground. When she was ten feet in the air, she slowed them down a bit so that she hovered at that height.

"Great job! Now, lean forward," Gabriel said from the ground.

Angela leaned forward slightly, and lost her balance, she quickly straightened herself up, but not before she had dropped a few feet in height.

Gabriel opened his wings and propelled himself into the air. He flew up to Angela and hovered beside her, wings flapping slowly.

They were close enough so I could hear what they were saying.

"Don't worry," Gabriel said. "I'll help you."

He took her hand and started flying forward. They started out slowly, and he held onto her hand to keep her balanced. He started speeding up, and Angela beat her wings faster to keep up with him. They continued speeding up until they made it to the end of the field. Gabriel turned them around and started back down towards the other side of the field. Then, he let go of Angela's hand.

He pulled up short and she continued flying. She looked back at him, but he shouted back to her.

"Keep going, you're doing great!" he shouted.

She turned her head forward and continued flying. A huge smile broke out on her face. Her lips moved, but I couldn't hear what she was saying.

"I'm flying!" she shouted happily.

"You're flying Angela!" I shouted to her, jumping up and down and waving my arms.

She was laughing as she continued to fly straight ahead. I was very happy for her.

Suddenly, something caught my attention in the corner of my eye. I turned and was just able to make out a black blur heading straight for Angela.

"Angela! Look out!" I shouted.

But it was too late. Before she could even look at me, the black blur flew right next to her, barely missing her. But it did manage to turn her upside down and make her lose her concentration. She started falling, and she was at least forty feet in the air. She tried to stop herself, but she couldn't get her wings to move at the same time. As the ground came closer to her, she screamed.

Then Gabriel swooped in and caught her, just a few feet above the ground. He pulled up and landed, still holding her in his arms. He gently set her down.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over for injury.

"I'm fine," she replied.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know. I couldn't see what flew by me," she said.

"I did," I said. They both turned to look at me.

"I think we need to have a chat with a certain black-winged angel," I continued.

Angela's eyes widened and Gabriel had a serious look on his face.

"I think we've had enough for today," Gabriel said. "Next time we can start working on maneuvering around obstacles."

His wings disappeared, and Angela retracted her mechanical one back into her back.

"I'll see you next week," Gabriel said, pulling on his shirt and walking back towards campus.

"See ya," she said back.

"Come on, let's go find Roxanne," I said.

Angela and I headed back towards our rooms. I knocked on the door across the hall from me. Roxanne opened the door.

"What do you want?" she growled.

"I know it was you," I said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, studying her nails.

"I think you do. Leave Angela alone," I replied.

"Why should I?" she asked.

"Because she never did anything to you," I answered.

"Wrong. She's embarrassed our entire race," Roxanne refuted.

"What?" Angela and I both inquired.

"She's an angel who can't fly through her own power. She's an embarrassment and an abomination," Roxanne stated.

I could see the blow affected Angela as if she had been physically struck.

"Come on Angela. Let's go," I said, taking her arm and leading her away from the door.

We walked across the hall into my room. I glared at Roxanne, who was still standing in her open doorway, and slammed the door to my room.

Angela was sitting on one of the beds, arms folded around her stomach.

"Don't listen to her," I said. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. She's a spoiled brat and she thinks she's all that. But you're a better angel than she will ever be. You're wing is not an embarrassment. It marks you as a fighter, a survivor. And now that you've learned to fly again, it makes you stronger than any other angel out there."

She looked up at me, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Suddenly, she stood up and wrapped her arms around me. I was surprised, but I hugged her back.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."

"You're welcome," I said.

We pulled apart and she took a deep breath.

"I gotta go study. I have a test on Monday," she said.

"Okay," I said.

As she was walking out the door, I remembered something.

"Hey, how are you and Gabriel doing?" I asked.

She blushed, but answered.

"I don't know. I'm too scared to ask him yet," she answered.

"You should do it," I said.

"Soon. After I master flying again," she assured me.

"Okay, but I'm holding you to that," I said, giving her a smile.

She smiled back and walked out the door.

I decided to go the library. I needed some new books to read. As I was headed there, I turned a corner and saw Jaegar talking with his friends. As I walked by, they all stopped and stared at me. Jaegar had a half-smile on his face, and that strange look was in his eyes. I continued walking, but stared back into his eyes, making sure to keep my face unreadable. The pupils of his eyes became slits, and I could have sworn I heard a hissing sound. I looked away from him and continued walking towards the library.

I pulled a random book off of a shelf and opened it to the first page. But I wasn't reading. I was too busy thinking about why my skin was crawling with goose bumps.

I knew what it was. It was Jaegar. _He creeps me out_, I thought. _Something about him being half snake makes him scary. _

I thought about it for hours. I finally got up when the library was closing for the night. I closed my book and went to put it back on the shelf.

I glanced at the cover of the book and froze. There was a picture of a snake on the cover, and the title read _Legends and Folklore on Snake-men from around the Galaxy._

I quickly put the book back and hurried out of the library.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**Here is the next chapter. **

**Roxanne is a real pain. And Angela and Raphaelle have bonded some more. **

**Things are gonna start to get juicy soon, I promise. **

**Let me know if there are any grammar mistakes.**

**Some people who are working on my Book Project have already gotten some drawings done. Check them out in my favorites on deviantart. **

**Leave a review! **


	9. Chapter 9

Life at the Academy

Chapter 9

Things seemed to be getting more stressful. Roxanne continued to glare at me, and she did everything she could to get Jim's attention. She showed off her gun skills in shooting class, and all heads turned her way when she was in control of a laser pistol. Whenever we watched her shoot, she would flash a brilliant smile at Jim. I found myself getting angry and a little afraid.

She had left Angela alone, but apparently she was watching their practices. Gabriel said he saw her sometimes, hiding in the shadows.

Jaegar continued to stare at me constantly. I ignored him and pretended not to notice him, but I could still feel his eyes boring into me.

The first Saturday in February, Angela invited me to go watch her practice again.

That morning, I awoke to chirping and buzzing next to my face.

"Morph? What is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

He flew over to my clock, and I saw that I had overslept. Angela and Gabriel will have already started. I quickly pulled on some clothes and ran out the door.

When I made it out to the flying field, I saw Angela and Gabriel were already in the air. It was quite a sight to behold. There were rings and moving obstacles and boxes with who-knows-what inside them floating in the air. Angela was flying through them, maneuvering quickly through the rings and avoiding the surprises that popped out of the boxes. She was doing amazing.

She made it through the last obstacle and did a little backflip in the air.

She saw me and landed in front of me.

"Hey, you were great! Sorry I was late. I overslept," I said.

"Thanks, and don't worry about it," she replied.

"That was perfect," Gabriel said, landing next to us. "I think you've just about mastered those wings."

Angela was beaming, and Gabriel had a proud look in his eyes to go with his soft smile.

"Thanks so much for helping me out," Angela said.

"No problem. It was fun," Gabriel said. His wings had disappeared and he was pulling on his shirt. Angela retracted her wings and pulled her jacket on.

"I'll see you around," Gabriel said, walking back towards campus.

"Bye," Angela said quietly.

After he left, I nudged her arm.

"What are you doing? That was your chance," I said.

She blushed and looked at her feet.

"How about I help you? You can ask him Monday. He's in my first class, so you can talk to him there," I offered.

"Okay. I'll try," she said.

"Great. I'll meet you outside the classroom," I said.

I headed back towards campus to find Jim. He and I had planned to go into town to hang out.

As I was walking towards his room, I saw Jaegar in the hallway. I ignored him, but he stepped into my path. I tried to walk around him, but he kept moving in front of me.

"Can I help you with something?" I said, annoyed.

"Yeah. You can let me take you out on a date," he said.

"I have a boyfriend," I said.

"So?" he asked.

My eyes widened slightly.

"No thank you. Now if you'll excuse me," I said, walking around him.

He grabbed my arm and held me back for a moment. I looked up in his eyes and saw the pupils were slits again.

"You should know that I always get what I want," he threatened.

"Not this time," I said, wrenching my arm out of his grip and walking quickly towards Jim's room. I didn't dare turn around to look at him, but I could feel his eyes burning holes in the back of my head.

I made it to Jim's room, and found a surprise waiting for me. Jim was standing outside his room, and Roxanne and the two pink troll girls were talking with him. Or, more accurately, they were flirting with him. He was leaning on the wall, talking to them casually.

I pushed my anger down and calmly walked up to him. He saw me and smiled. The three girls turned to look at me, and they all glared, but I ignored them.

I leaned up and kissed him.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah. Let's go," he said, putting his arm around my shoulder and walking out of the hallway.

When we were off campus and halfway to the town, I confronted him.

"Why were you talking to those girls?" I asked.

"I was waiting for you and they came up and talked to me. Why?" he answered.

"Because that was Roxanne, and she's really mean. She makes fun of Angela for her mechanical wing," I said.

"Really? She seemed nice to me," he said.

"Well, just be careful. She's not what she seems," I warned him.

We went to the diner again, and I saw Jaegar inside and froze.

"What's wrong?" Jim asked.

I shook my head and smiled at him.

"Nothing," I said.

But I glanced at him, and found he was looking at me with those snake eyes. I was tense for our entire date, but Jim didn't seem to notice.

When we left, I could still feel his eyes on the back of my head, and my skin was covered in goose bumps.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

** Hey guys! I know things may seem to be a little boring and slow paced right now, but this is the transition. I swear, things are gonna get really juicy the next chapter. **

**Again, I'm not that good at time transitions, but I hope y'all get that this is happening over a large span of time. **

**Check out my favorites for some of the finished drawings for the book project. **

**Leave a review! **


	10. Chapter 10

Life at the Academy

Chapter 10

I waited outside of the classroom on Monday morning. Only a few students were in the room, since it was early. Gabriel was in there, just as he normally was at this time.

Angela walked up, wearing her Academy uniform. She had decided to wear the skirt instead of the pants that day. Her hair was straightened and a portion of it was held back by a sparkly butterfly clip.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'm really nervous," she admitted.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine. And I'll be right behind you," I assured her.

I walked into the room before her. I froze in the doorway.

Roxanne was kissing Gabriel. He looked surprised, but he wasn't stopping it. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them slightly and found mine. A small smile played on her lips.

My first reaction was shock, then anger. Then fear, for Angela. I turned around, hoping to catch her before she saw anything. But it was too late. She was staring at Roxanne and Gabriel in horror.

Roxanne backed away from Gabriel, smirking at me and Angela. She walked out of the room, brushing past us on the way out the door. Gabriel saw Angela, and his eyes widened.

Tears were started to well up in Angela's eyes. Gabriel opened his mouth to speak, but Angela ran out of the room, tears pouring down her face.

Gabriel looked at me, pleading with his eyes. I glared at him before I spoke.

"You better have a good explanation for this," I said.

"She started talking to me about an assignment in another class. Then she kissed me. I was completely caught off guard. I didn't know what to do. I swear I don't have any feelings for her. I'm sorry," he replied.

I thought a moment before I answered.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," I said, but there was kindness in my voice. I believed him. It _was_ Roxanne we were talking about.

He smiled at me, then ran out the door, following Angela to wherever she may have gone. I would have gone too, but this was something that was better done in private.

The room filled up as it came closer for class to start. Roxanne walked back into the room, and I walked up to her. She smirked at me.

"That was despicable," I spit.

"Thanks," she replied, pushing past me.

"You're not gonna get away with this," I said, following her.

"I think I already did," she answered.

"Hey!" I said, raising my voice and grabbing her arm.

She turned to look at me, a scowl on her face.

"You don't want to mess with me," I threatened.

"Or what?" she snorted.

I had nothing to say, but I glared at her. Eventually, I let go of her arm. I walked over to my desk. Jim stared at me.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said. He dropped the subject.

Gabriel didn't come back for class. The rest of the day was tense, and I couldn't wait to get back to my room.

When the day was finally over, I headed back to my room, but stopped and knocked on Angela's door.

No one answered, so I opened it myself. Angela was inside, sitting on her bed, staring at her lap.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Did Gabriel come and talk to you?" I asked.

She nodded her head.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He said that she was the one who kissed him, and that he didn't care about her," she answered.

"Is that all?" I asked.

She shook her head before continuing.

"He said he cared about me a lot, and that he had never met anyone who made him feel the way he was feeling. And then he…" she trailed off.

"He what?" I prompted.

"He kissed me," she said, her face breaking into a huge smile.

"Oh my gosh! Angela! That's great! I knew he would like you!" I said, hugging her. "So does that mean you're together?"

"I think so," she replied.

"That's great. You two are so cute together," I said.

"Thank you, for everything," she said.

"You're welcome," I replied.

I left the room and got started on my work. But I couldn't concentrate. I was too busy thinking about how happy Angela and Gabriel would be.

When I finally finished my work, Nerita and Jennifer were already asleep. I climbed into bed and turned out my light. Morph was sleeping on a little pillow at the end of my bed. I looked at my nightstand and saw my music box there. I pushed the button that opened the lid, and the tiny figurines of Jim and I popped out, and it started to play _Once Upon A December_, a lullaby I had once sung at one of the summer shows.

I fell asleep to the notes of the sweet melody and dreamed of two angels dancing around each other in the clouds.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Short-ish chapter, I know. **

**So if you all hate Roxanne with a burning passion right now, Good! That means I am doing my job right! **

**Angela and Gabriel. So cute! Keep in mind, he is two years older than her, but girls usually date older guys anyway, so it doesn't seem to odd to me. **

**Things are about to get so much Juicier! Stuff is really gonna start happening now! **

**Leave a review please! **

**Check out the drawings some people have finished for the book project on my deviantart journal and in my favorites! **


	11. Chapter 11

Life at the Academy

Chapter 11

Things continued to be stressful all that week. Roxanne continued to glare at me and she talked to Jim a lot. He didn't seem to think she was as bad as I said, but there wasn't much I could do to convince him. But the anger I was holding inside was sure to explode soon.

On the bright side, Angela and Gabriel hung out often. He would walk her to class and kiss her, and they would go flying together on weekends. Nobody knew where they went, but I'm sure it was somewhere they would be alone.

I was happy for them, but even they couldn't block out my worries about Roxanne and her little group. And Jaegar still scared me.

Then everything went wrong one Saturday morning.

I was walking towards the library, when I saw Jim in the hallway. He was surrounded by Roxanne and her two friends. They were fawning over him, and Roxanne was feeling his muscles. And he wasn't doing a thing about it. I felt the blood rush to my face, and I couldn't keep it in any longer.

I marched over to them and yelled.

"Go! All of you! NOW!" I yelled.

They froze where they were and stared at me.

"Leave Now!" I growled.

They let go of Jim and walked away, glaring at me. I glared back, watching them leave. Jim still stood leaning against the wall.

"What was that?" he asked.

"They were flirting with you! And you just let them!" I exclaimed.

"So?" he asked.

"So! How do you think that makes me feel?" I said.

"I don't care about them," he said.

"I care that you won't even tell them to leave you alone," I replied.

"What is it with you and these girls? You are not the jealous type," he stated.

"Roxanne has had it out for me since they day we met. She's trying to steal you away from me," I said.

"Don't be ridiculous," he laughed.

"I'm not! This is serious," I exclaimed.

"You're making such a big deal about this," he said.

"No, you're not taking me seriously," I replied.

"Just let them do what they want. They're harmless," he said.

I studied his expression for a minute before coming to a shocking realization.

"You don't enjoy it, do you?" I asked quietly.

He didn't answer.

"You do! You like them flirting and fawning all over you! I can't believe it!" I exclaimed, raising my voice.

"No!" he refuted, but I could tell he was lying.

"I can't believe you!" I shouted.

"Girls never paid attention to me before, so yeah, it's kinda nice that they do now," he admitted.

"Am I not enough anymore?" I asked.

"I don't know. Come on, can't we just forget about this?" he asked.

"No! This is crazy! I'm your girlfriend! You're not supposed to flirt with other girls!" I yelled.

"I wasn't, they were flirting with me!" he shouted back.

"But you didn't stop them!" I refuted.

"No, I didn't. Because I didn't think you would care," he shouted.

"You didn't think I would care? What kind of inconsiderate boyfriend wouldn't think his girlfriend wouldn't care that other girls were flirting with him?" I yelled.

"You know what! Maybe we need to take a break!" he shouted.

I was stunned for a moment, but then I glared at him.

"Fine! Go flirt with all the girls you want! See if I care!" I yelled.

I stormed down the hallway the way I had come. I felt like crying, but I was too angry to.

I walked down a hallway with a large window extending all the way down the hall. It was right next to the flying field. There were students practicing with some longboats. I could see the boats flying in my peripheral vision.

I continued walking straight ahead, not caring where I was going.

Only when something large entered my peripheral vision did I turn my head.

I barely had time to scream as a boat came crashing through the window straight towards me.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**And here is the drama you all have been waiting for. **

**I don't want to say too much, since it's all pretty self-explanatory. **

**Check out the drawings already done for the book project on my deviantart. **

**Please leave a review! **


	12. Chapter 12

Life at the Academy

Chapter 12

Jim heard a scream, followed by the sound of breaking glass and a crash. It came from the direction that Raphaelle had stormed off.

He ran down the hall, and came to a stop at the scene of the crash.

A longboat had crashed through the window into the hallway. A student was climbing out of the boat.

"What happened?" Jim asked the boy who had been driving.

"I lost control of the boat," he said.

That's when Jim noticed something shiny on the ground. He reached down to pick it up. It was Raphaelle's locket.

His eyes widened and he looked around for her.

He saw a flash of gold hair glinting in the sunlight. He followed it and found her, halfway under the boat.

"Help me lift the boat!" Jim said to the boy who had been driving.

"Why?" he asked.

"There's someone under it!" he shouted.

The boy helped lift the boat up. Some more people had gathered around, having heard the crash from far away. Another person held the boat up while Jim pulled Raphaelle out from under it.

She was unconscious, and she had a few scratches, but she looked fine. That is, until Jim put his hand under her head. When he pulled it away, it was covered in blood.

He lifted her up, making sure to place her head against him, and started running towards the infirmary. People moved out of his way to let him through.

"I need help!" he shouted once he had made it into the infirmary.

Nurses and doctors came up to him, asking him questions.

"Someone lost control of a boat and it crashed through a window and into her. Her head's bleeding," Jim explained.

They told him to put her on a bed, so he gently set her down. As soon as he did, she was surrounded by doctors and nurses. They pushed him back as they examined her. He tried to get back beside her, but a doctor pulled him aside.

"Let us take care of her. You can see her when we're done," the doctor said.

Jim nodded, and went to sit down in the waiting area.

He sat there for several hours before one of the nurses came in and informed him that Raphaelle was waking up.

"She has a concussion and will need to stay in here for a few days, maybe a week, but she's fine. She'll be waking up in a few minutes. You can go see her now," the nurse said.

Jim sat beside Raphaelle's hospital bed and stared at her. Her head was bandaged, and her various cuts stood out on her light skin.

Jim put his head in his hands. He was angry at himself for the fight.

_She wouldn't have been there if we hadn't had that fight, _he thought.

He heard the rustling of sheets beside him, and lifted his face from his hands.

Raphaelle was sitting up, looking around, a confused look on her face.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in the infirmary. A boat crashed through the window and hit you," Jim explained.

Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"The doctors said you have a concussion and that you'll have to stay here for a while. You might have a hard time thinking straight at first, but I'm sure the symptoms of the concussion will wear off soon," he continued.

She turned to look at him, and studied his face, her own face completely unreadable.

"I'm sorry about the fight we had earlier. I didn't mean what I said. I should have taken you seriously. I'm sorry," Jim apologized.

Raphaelle continued to stare at him, her face completely unreadable.

"I gotta go. I have a lot of work to do and you need to get some rest," Jim said, standing up and turning to leave.

"Wait," Raphaelle said.

Jim turned around and looked at her hopefully. Her face was serious and unreadable, but there was confusion in her eyes. Then she spoke.

"Who are you? And who am I?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Really short chapter, and it changed perspective to third person again, but really juicy!**

**Concussion, and memory loss! How will this turn out!**

**Check out the art some people drew for my stories on deviantart! Be sure to leave a comment so that the artists know you like their art!**

**Please leave a review telling me exactly what went through your mind when you finished reading this chapter! I want to know what went through your head! **


	13. Chapter 13

Life at the Academy

Chapter 13

"It appears her concussion was more severe than we previously thought," the doctor told Jim.

They had reexamined Raphaelle and found that her brain injury was more severe than they had predicted.

"So she doesn't remember anything? Is there any way to get her memories back?" Jim asked.

"She's already regained some of her memories," the doctor said.

"She has!" Jim exclaimed.

"Yes. We asked her some test questions and she was able to remember that she has no parents and was raised in an orphanage. She will probably regain her memories gradually and when she sees people or things that stimulate memories," the doctor explained.

"But she didn't remember me," Jim pointed out.

"Give it time. She'll remember. In the meantime, why don't you bring some objects from her room that will help her remember something," the doctor advised. "Bring them tomorrow. It's late and she needs her rest."

Jim nodded and left to go to his room.

Gabriel was in the room, sitting on the bed. He looked up as Jim walked in.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She has a concussion, and she lost all of her memories," Jim answered.

"Wow. That's pretty rough," Gabriel said.

"Yeah. I'm gonna bring her stuff over tomorrow. It might help her regain some memories," he replied.

"Let's hope," Gabriel said.

The next morning, Jim went over to her room and knocked on the door. Nerita answered.

"Jim! We heard what happened to Raphaelle. Is she okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. But she has a bad concussion and she lost all her memories," he explained.

"Oh my gosh. That's terrible!" she gasped.

"I came to get her some stuff to help trigger some of her memories," he said.

"Oh! Sure, come on in," Nerita said, opening the door wide and letting him come in.

Jennifer sat on the bed, and Nerita filled her in while Jim looked around. He grabbed her music box and her sketchbooks. He looked around for her locket, but couldn't find it.

_I must have left it in my room, _he thought.

Jim was about to leave the room, when Jennifer spoke up.

"Can we come see her?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'll ask them and then I'll let you know," he replied.

He left the room and headed for the infirmary. When he got there, Raphaelle wasn't in her bed.

"They're examining her and asking some more questions," a nurse told him.

"Can I leave her some stuff?" he asked.

"Of course. Just leave them on the table next to the bed," she answered.

Jim set the three sketchbooks in the middle of the table, and he put the music box next to it.

"Can some of her friends come to visit her later?" he asked.

"Yes. This afternoon," the nurse answered.

"Thank you," he replied.

He left, and went to tell everyone that they could see Raphaelle that afternoon.

He found Raphaelle's locket in his pants pocket, but decided to wait awhile before he would give it back. He wanted her to remember what it was before he gave it back.

_Maybe she'll remember me by tonight. Surely the music box will trigger her memory, _he thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Tragically, Raphaelle has lost all her memories. Will she get them back? **

**Check out my deviantart for the Book Project if you are interested in drawing! **

**Please leave a review! **


	14. Chapter 14

Life at the Academy

Chapter 14

I woke up, and I didn't know who I was. Some things came back to me, like the fact that I had no parents and was raised in an orphanage. I remembered my name when the doctors told me what it was, but nothing about myself. The doctors told me that I would regain my memories, and I hoped they were right.

A girl with green skin and hair and a girl who looked like a cat came to see me. They looked familiar, but I couldn't remember from where.

"Hey Raphaelle," the green one said. "Do you remember us?"

"I don't know," I replied. "You look familiar, but I can't remember from where."

"We're your roommates. We've been roommates here at the Academy for three years," the cat girl said.

"I-I think I remember that. You're, umm, Jennifer, right?" I asked. The cat girl nodded her head and smiled.

"And I am…?" the green one prompted.

"Umm…N-Nessy?" I guessed.

"Close. Nerita," she corrected.

"Nerita. Of course," I said, vaguely remembering nights spent laughing and talking about…someone. Someone who I couldn't picture.

They smiled at me, and I found myself smiling back.

"So, umm, can you guys tell me anything about myself?" I asked them.

"Well, you're kind, caring, a great friend, the list goes on and on," Jennifer said.

"I don't know if there's anything we could tell you that you won't find out for yourself," Nerita continued.

"Okay. Thanks anyway," I replied.

"We have to go. Lots of work to do," Jennifer said.

"Hope you get better soon," Nerita said.

They left and a doctor came in. He removed the bandage from around my head and told me to try not to touch it too much.

Nobody came into the room, so I looked around. I saw some items on the table next to the bed that I hadn't seen before. There were three black books and a little round blue box. I picked up the first book and opened it up. It was blank. All the pages were blank. I put it back and picked up the second one.

It was filled with sketches of mermaids, fairies and a couple of snake-creatures. I remembered that I had drawn these. I flipped through each page, studying the familiar pencil strokes.

Someone came into the room, so I put the book back on the desk and looked at who had walked in.

A girl with pure white hair and silver eyes walked into the room. She had a hopeful look on her face, but I didn't recognize her.

"Hi Raphaelle. Do you remember me?" she asked.

"No, I'm sorry," I said.

Her face fell, and her hair and eyes changed to the darkest black.

"Iris! I do remember!" I exclaimed.

She smiled, and her hair and eyes changed to a golden yellow.

"I'm so glad you remember! We've all been so worried about you," she said, giving me a hug.

"Who's we?" I asked.

"Everyone! Nerita, Jennifer, Adelaide, Angela, Gabriel, and especially Jim," she said.

"I don't recognize most of those names. Are they gonna come visit me?" I asked.

"Definitely! Some are gonna come in right after I leave," Iris said.

"I feel so weird. Not knowing who I am or anyone else," I admitted.

"Don't worry. You'll remember. You remembered who I was. And as soon as you see Jim, you're sure to remember everything!" she exclaimed.

I wanted to ask her more, but she had to leave. Apparently everyone had a lot of work to do, and they only had a little time to drop by and see me.

The next two people who walked in I recognized immediately.

"Angela! Gabriel!" I exclaimed

"You remembered!" Angela said.

"Of course! I'm the reason you two are together. Wait, you are together, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, we are," Gabriel said, taking Angela's mechanical arm in his.

"You two are so cute together!" I said.

"Thanks," Angela said, blushing. "So have you remembered much?"

"I've remembered most of the people who have come to visit me. I don't remember much though. Like, I have no idea where I'm from, other than the fact I was raised in an orphanage," I said.

"Don't worry. You'll remember," Gabriel assured me.

"Sorry to leave so soon, but Gabriel and I have a date," Angela said.

"No, go ahead. Have fun," I said.

"Thanks, we will," Gabriel said.

Nobody else came to visit me that day. The doctors said I had to stay in bed, so I got really bored.

I picked up the third sketchbook and opened it up. They were all sketches of a boy; a boy I didn't recognize. As I flipped through it, I saw that I was in some of them. In a couple, there was a little blob-like creature floating around our faces. It looked familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen it.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I decided to look at the little round box, since I had neglected it before. I pressed a little button, and the lid opened up. Two figures popped up and started spinning around. One of them was me, and the other was the boy from the sketchbook.

It started playing music, and the song sounded extremely familiar, but I couldn't recall it.

I set it back on the table and lay down in the bed, watching the little figures dance to the music.

I heard footsteps coming into the room, but I just stared at the figures. My back was to them, so I didn't know who it was, and they couldn't see my face.

They must have thought I was asleep, because I heard their footsteps start to leave.

"I'm awake," I said.

The footsteps turned around and walked back into the room a few steps.

I lifted myself off the bed and turned around.

It was the boy from the sketchbooks and the music box.

But that was the only thing about him that was familiar.

"You're the boy from the sketchbook and the music box," I said.

His face looked disappointed, but he nodded his head.

"Yeah. I'm Jim. Can you remember anything else about me?" he asked, rubbing his neck.

"No, sorry," I said, truly sorry to disappoint him.

"It's alright. I'm sure you'll remember soon," he said.

"How come you're in the music box?" I asked.

"I gave it to you for your seventeenth birthday," he said.

"How old am I?" I asked.

"You're eighteen. I'm nineteen," he answered.

"Wow," I whispered.

"Well, I just came by in case you might remember me. It's late, and I should probably go," he said.

He started walking out.

"Wait," I said.

He turned around, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

I reached for the sketchbook next to the bed and opened it up.

"What's this thing?" I asked, pointing to the sketch of the little blob on the page.

Jim smiled at the picture.

"That's Morph. I'll bring him by if you want," he offered.

"Okay," I said.

"Well, goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight," I said.

He left the room, and I turned back to stare at the music box.

I fell asleep watching the figures dance to a lullaby that I only remembered half of.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**So some people have brought back memories for Raphaelle, but sadly Jim has not. **

**Check out deviantart for the Book Project, leave a review, you know the drill.**

**Stay Awesome you guys. **


	15. Chapter 15

Life at the Academy

Chapter 15

I stayed in the hospital for a week. I regained most of my childhood memories, but everything after my sixteenth birthday was either blank, or a strange blur.

Jim brought by the little pink blob, Morph. I remembered something about him, but not a lot. When he chattered and buzzed around me and licked my face, I remembered how much I loved the little guy. Whenever I looked at him, blurry memories tried to focus in my mind. But no matter how hard I concentrated, the images only got blurrier.

After a week, the doctor said I could go back to my room. My teachers were informed not to give me any assignments until further notice, but I was allowed to attend classes starting Monday. Someone from each of my classes was supposed to show around, since I didn't remember them.

Nerita and Jennifer were excited to see me back, and I was glad to be around people who could help me remember things.

Monday morning, Jim came by my room and took me to my first class. Lots of people in the class asked me if I remembered them, but I couldn't remember any of them well.

One girl with black hair and green eyes came up to me. She was glaring at me and didn't look like she would be wishing me well like everyone else.

"So how long are you gonna keep up the act?" she hissed.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, very confused.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you didn't really lose your memory," she spat.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" I asked.

"Like you don't know," she said.

"No, I don't," I replied.

"Is there a problem here?" Jim said, coming up behind me and putting his hands on my shoulders.

It made me uncomfortable, so I shrugged his hands off.

Both the girl and Jim looked at me strangely.

"You really don't remember," she smirked.

"Leave her alone, Roxanne," Jim said.

"Fine, whatever," Roxanne said, walking off.

"You don't remember her?" Jim asked.

"No. And could you maybe not touch me. I don't know you, and it makes me uncomfortable," I said.

He looked hurt, but he smiled at me anyway.

"Of course. I understand," he said.

The bell rang, and I sat in my seat. Jim's seat was next to mine, so I could feel him glancing at me all the time.

I saw someone turn around to look at me. It was a tall boy with black hair and green eyes. He looked me straight in the eyes, and gave me a half-smile. It sent chills down my spine. Jim noticed, and followed my gaze. He frowned, and I saw his hand curl into a fist under the table.

Jim took me to my next class, which was outside. I saw that it was a shooting range. Everyone parted to pick up strange looking guns and rifles. I looked to the side and saw bows and arrows. I walked over and picked a bow off the shelf.

"Raphaelle, are you sure you want to do that? You haven't fully recovered yet," the teacher asked me.

"I'm fine. I remember being good at this," I said.

I pulled back an arrow and aimed at the target. I let the arrow go, and it hit the bulls-eye right in the center.

Roxanne was watching me, an angry look in her eyes. I couldn't remember her or why she seemed to hate me so much.

She stopped glaring at me and went to talk to Jim. She started flirting, and Jim tried to turn her away. He told her to leave him alone, nicely at first. But when she didn't, he told her he wasn't interested, and he was kinda harsh.

_He's kinda mean,_ I thought. _Maybe I should find out more about this guy and why he is so interested in me. _

The rest of the day was boring. My classes were so foreign to me, and I tried to pay attention, but I found myself drifting off into daydreams, some of which brought back memories from my past.

That night, while I was sitting on my bed listening to Nerita and Jennifer talk, I flipped through the pages of the sketchbook with pictures of Jim in it.

"Hey guys, how come Jim is so interested in me?" I asked.

They both stared at me before looking at each other. I wondered if they were going to answer me. Then Nerita spoke up.

"You don't remember this, but you and Jim were boyfriend-girlfriend," she said.

"We were? But he's so…rough. He's really temperamental, and he's kinda rude to other people," I said.

"He's kinda stressed right now. You don't remember him, so he may not be acting normal. But trust me, you really loved him," she said.

I didn't really believe her, but I let the subject drop.

Weeks went by, but there was still a huge chunk of memories that I couldn't remember. The past two years of my life were either a blank or a blur.

One day, while I was in the library, searching for a book to read, I was approached by the tall green-eyed boy.

"Hey, you remember me?" he asked.

"No. Should I?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm Jaegar, your boyfriend," he said.

"That's a lie. I was told Jim was my boyfriend. And if you were, you would have talked to me before now," I replied.

"Okay. So I'm not your boyfriend. But I could be. Why don't I take you out on a date tomorrow?" he asked.

"No thanks, I have some stuff I have to do," I said. I put the book I was holding back on the shelf and started to walk away.

But he grabbed my arm and held me back.

"Come on, I'm just asking for one date," he said.

"I said no," I repeated, trying to pull my arm out of his grasp. But his grip was tight.

"I told you this once before, and I'll tell you again; I always get what I want," he hissed.

The pupils of his eyes became slits, and I felt a primal urge to flee.

"Let me go!" I cried.

Suddenly, his grip was gone, and I was stunned by the sudden release. Then I noticed he was on the ground, and there was someone on top of him.

It was Jim.

Jim was fighting and hitting Jaegar, wrestling him on the ground.

"Jim! Stop it!" I shouted.

He didn't stop. I reached down and tried to pull him off of Jaegar.

I got a hold of him, but he pushed me back, knocking me to the ground. I hit my head on a book shelf, and it made a large thud.

Suddenly, Jim stopped punching Jaegar and looked at me. I rubbed the back of my head, and could feel involuntary tears forming in my eyes.

He looked at his hands, and then at me, a horrified expression on his face.

"Raphaelle, I-I…" he stuttered.

"Just…leave me alone," I whispered.

I got up and walked out of the library, leaving a stunned Jim and a bruised and bleeding Jaegar to deal with the teachers that were rushing into the library.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**What's going on with Jim? He's not acting normal! It doesn't help that Raphaelle doesn't remember him, so the only side she is seeing is this one. Trouble! **

**Now what's gonna happen? **

**Read on to find out. **

**You know the drill: check out deviantart for the book project and leave a review!**

**Thanks! You guys rock!**


	16. Chapter 16

Life at the Academy

Chapter 16

That night, I woke up from a nightmare I couldn't remember. I couldn't go back to sleep. I didn't realize I had even gotten out of bed until I was knocking on his door.

The door opened, and Jim was standing there, with no shirt on. I blushed, and was glad there was little light in the hallway.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had gotten out of my bed," I said.

"It's okay. Are you alright?" he asked, closing the door behind him and stepping out into the hall.

"Yeah. I had a nightmare, and then I was here. I don't know why," I said.

"You used to do that back home on Montressor. But not here. We would get into trouble if we got caught," he explained, smiling a little.

"Hmm. I don't remember," I said.

His smile became a frown, and his eyes looked sad.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," he said.

We stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say. I was just about to head back to my room, when he spoke up.

"Look, I'm sorry about today. I didn't mean to push you down. I just…I heard you cry out, and I saw him holding you and my anger got the best of me," he apologized.

"It's alright. But you should control your temper," I said.

"I'm not usually like that," he explained.

"Did you get into trouble?" I asked.

"A little. I have detention for a week, and so does Jaegar. But don't worry, it's my own fault," he replied.

"When did you and I first meet?" I asked randomly.

"Two years ago on your sixteenth birthday," he said.

"I can't remember anything after that. Why?" I asked.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"What if I never do?" I asked, my voice cracking a little.

"You will. And I'll help you. Wait right here," he said.

He went back inside his room, and came back a second later with something in his hand.

"Take this. Maybe it will help you remember," he said.

I took what was in his hand, and saw it was a silver heart-shaped locket.

"You should go back to bed now," he said.

"Okay. Thank you," I said.

He smiled at me and closed the door.

I started walking back towards my room. I looked at the locket in my hand. It looked very familiar, and I felt that strange tugging at the back of my head when a memory was trying to resurface. I stopped in the hallway and started to open it.

But then I heard something move behind me. I quickly turned around to look, but saw nothing. I saw something in my peripheral vision and snapped my head back to try and catch it, but there was still nothing there.

I turned in a circle, trying to locate whatever it was that was around me. But I couldn't find it.

"Don't move," a voice hissed right in my ear.

I started to turn my head to the side, attempting to see who it was.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder. It felt like something was biting me. I opened my mouth to scream, but a hand clamped down over my mouth. I could feel something being pumped inside me. It lasted only a few seconds, and then whatever was biting me let me go.

I immediately felt the effect of whatever had been pumped inside me, probably some sort of poison. I felt extremely exhausted and woozy.

I was out cold before I hit the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Dun Dun DUN! Suspense!**

**Same as usual; check out deviantart for the Book Project. **

**Leave a review! **


	17. Chapter 17

Life at the Academy

Chapter 17

I woke up in a large dark room, lying down on a bed in my blue satin nightgown. I slowly lifted myself off the bed, and brought my hand up to my shoulder. Sure enough, there were two little holes where something had bitten me. I got off the bed and looked around the room. It was empty, except for the bed, and there was a random column in the middle of the room.

I saw a door, and ran over to it, turning the handle. But it was locked. I looked around the room again, trying to locate another means of escape. But there were no windows, and I couldn't see into certain parts of the room.

I heard a hiss from somewhere in the room. My eyes darted around the room, trying to find the source.

Then I saw two glowing green eyes to my right. I backed away slowly until I hit the bed at the other end of the room.

I fell down onto the bed, and continued to stare warily at the glowing eyes. They looked very familiar.

Then the figure came out of the dark and into what little light there was in the room.

It was Jaegar.

He didn't have a shirt on, and the pupils of his eyes were slits again. When I saw the rest of his body, my eyes widened.

His bottom half was a snake tail. It was dark green, and maybe twenty feet long.

He slithered towards me, slowly and gracefully. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. I sat there on the bed, frozen like a statue.

He stopped in the middle of the room.

"Why so scared?" he asked.

I didn't answer. He chuckled.

"You can get off of the bed," he said.

I slowly and cautiously got off of the bed, but I didn't move past it.

Jaegar started towards me again, and I tensed up. But he stopped right in front of me. He stood at least six feet tall on his tail, and I'm sure he could make himself taller.

"W-Where am I?" I asked.

"Doesn't matter," he replied. He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, and I flinched away from him slightly.

"Don't touch me," I whispered.

He didn't listen. He ran his fingers through my hair. I started trembling like a leaf.

He smiled, and I could see two sharp fangs poking out of his mouth.

"What's the matter? Aren't you glad to see me?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Well, maybe this will change your mind," he said.

He started leaning towards me, and I finally regained some of my senses. I slapped him and pushed his hands away. I darted around him; though I wasn't sure where I was gonna go.

I headed for the other end of the room, but I tripped over his tail.

I turned around on my back, and found him hovering over me, an angry look in his eyes.

His tail wrapped around my waist and lifted me up off the ground and to his face. I looked at him fearfully, and he glared at me for a while. Then he gave me a mischievous half-smile.

He put me down, but only so he could adjust his hold on me. He rewrapped his tail around me so that my arms were trapped under the coils.

He lifted me up and brought me back to his face. He hissed, and his forked tongue flicked out of his mouth.

I whimpered a little. He chuckled again and brought me closer.

Then he ran his long skinny tongue across my cheek, causing me to gasp.

Then he kissed me.

I closed my lips, shutting him out. But his tongue was so flat that it bypassed by lips and made it inside my mouth.

His tongue curled around mine, and I whimpered at its foreign taste. I struggled within the coils, but there was nothing I could do.

He continued to kiss me until I was sure I would pass out from lack of air. When he finally moved away, I sucked in as much as I could.

"You're not a very good kisser," he said. "But I'll get over it."

He leaned back towards me, and I turned my head away and looked down. He used the tip of his tail to push my head back up.

"What's the matter? Don't you want more?" he asked, still smiling evilly.

I shook my head.

"No matter. I have to go now anyway. Don't want to be late for class," he said. He brought me over to the column in the middle of the room. He set me on the ground, forcing me to sit. He took some rope and tied my hands behind the column. He tied a cloth around my mouth too.

He turned to leave the room, but not before transforming back into a human. He pulled his Academy shirt back on and pulled a key out of his pants pocket. He unlocked the door and opened it, but not before looking back at me.

"Here, a little something to keep you busy," he said, tossing something at me.

It landed in my lap, and I saw it was the locket Jim had handed to me last night.

He closed the door, and I could hear him lock it from the other side.

I started to move my wrists around, testing out the bonds. They were tight and wouldn't budge, but I continued to move them around, trying to find a way to slip them through the ropes.

My wrists started to get sore, so I finally stopped.

I looked at the locket in my lap, and decided to try and find a way to open it. I couldn't use my hands, so I carefully balanced it on my knees and brought it up to my face. I used my shoulders to drag the cloth off of my mouth.

I grabbed the chain of the necklace with my teeth, and used my knees to press the button on the lid. I dropped the necklace right as it popped open. It fell to the ground right next to me.

Holographic images came out of the locket, and I stared at them in fascination.

I watched myself clutching Jim on a solar surfer; Jim holding onto me in some shrouds as the wind blew around us during a ship launch; Jim guiding my hand, showing me how to peel potatoes; Jim and I listening to a cyborg tell stories in a galley; Me sleeping on Jim's lap; Jim, the cyborg and I soaring through the tail of a comet and coming out covered in glittering dust; Jim rubbing his thumb over my tear stained cheek and pressing a kiss to my forehead; Jim and I saying goodbye to the cyborg as he is soaring away in a longboat; Jim and I dancing merrily to lively music; and finally, Jim and I slow dancing and then leaning into each other and sharing a kiss.

The images seemed so familiar, but I still couldn't believe that they had happened.

I knew there was only one way to find out if these things really happened.

But first I had to find a way to get out of there.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**How dare Jaegar kiss Raphaelle! Seems that she gets a whole lot of attention from boys doesn't she. If you guys are wondering why or are sick of it, it's because I am trying to fill a void. Boys never look my way, so I write about being desired to keep myself sane. Bear with me please. **

**I'm sure you all thought that the locket would help Raphaelle regain her memories, and that was the original plan, but I had a better idea. You'll find out. **

**Okay, so my tv is freaking out. The colors keep going rainbow, then black and white, then normal, then it repeats again. Stupid old tv. **

**Check out deviantart for the book project, and leave review. **

**Thanks! You guys are awesome. **


	18. Chapter 18

Life at the Academy

Chapter 18

Jim knew something was wrong when Raphaelle didn't show up for class. The look Jaegar shot him only increased his suspicions.

As soon as his first class was over, he ran back to his room.

"Morph! Morph, I need your help," Jim called, looking for the shape shifter.

Morph popped out from under the bed and chattered around Jim's head.

"Morph, I need you to find Raphaelle. She might be in trouble. Check every room, but make sure nobody sees you," Jim told him.

Morph saluted Jim then flew out of the room and down the hall.

Jim headed back to shooting class, since he couldn't skip. He was already in trouble for getting into a fight; he didn't want to make it worse.

Roxanne tried to flirt with him again during shooting class, and he was sick and tired of it.

"Look, Roxanne. I have a girlfriend. She is the only one I care about. Nothing you could say or do would ever change my mind. So quit bothering me and go flirt with someone else," he told her.

She was shocked, but then she glared at him.

"As if I would ever want to be with a loser like you," she snorted before storming off.

Jim let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Roxanne wouldn't bother him anymore.

During lunch, he decided to go back to his room and see if Morph had found anything yet.

He found Morph in his room, buzzing around excitedly. When he saw Jim, he started chirping and chattering frantically.

"Did you find her?" Jim asked.

Morph nodded his head, then transformed into an image of Raphaelle tied to a column.

"Where is she? Take me to her," Jim said.

Morph flew out of the room, and Jim ran after him.

Morph stopped in front of a door at the complete other end of the school. He didn't know what the room was used for, but he knew Raphaelle was on the other side.

He tried to turn the handle, but it was locked.

"Morph, can you unlock it?" Jim asked.

Morph transformed into a key, and jammed himself into the lock, but he couldn't get the door to unlock.

"Raphaelle! Are you in there?" Jim called.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Short chapter, just to get you caught up on what has happened with Jim. **

**You know the drill: check out deviantart for the book project and leave a review. **

**You guys rock!**


	19. Chapter 19

Life at the Academy

Chapter 19

I heard the bell signaling first classes were over and sighed, knowing it was going to be a long day.

A few minutes later, I heard a familiar cooing that had never sounded better in my entire life.

"Morph! Morph come here," I said.

The little pink blob squeezed under the door and into the room. He chirped at me happily and licked my face.

"Morph, I've never been so happy to see you," I said.

"Happy to see you!" he repeated.

"You have to go get help," I told him.

Morph saluted, then squeezed back under the door.

I waited for a long time. I heard each bell go off, and was able to keep track of time that way. The last bell to go off had been the lunch bell.

I heard some commotion going on right outside the door.

"Raphaelle! Are you in there?" I heard a familiar voice say.

"Jim! Jim is that you?" I yelled.

"Yeah. Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I replied.

"The door is locked," he said.

"I know. Jaegar has the key in his pocket," I told him.

"Morph, go get the key out of Jaegar's pocket. Don't let him see you," I heard Jim say.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of there," Jim said.

"Okay," I replied.

There was an awkward silence on either side of the door.

"Jim, maybe you should get a teacher," I suggested.

"We'll get a teacher later. I don't want to leave incase Jaegar comes back," he replied.

"Good idea," I said.

"Morph!" I heard Jim say. "Good job."

I heard the lock turn and Jim opened the door. He smiled when he saw me, then frowned as he realized that I was tied up.

"Boy am I glad to see you," I exclaimed as he moved behind me and tried to untie the ropes.

"Me too," he said. "These ropes are too tight. I can't untie them."

Morph turned into a knife and flew over to Jim. He used it to cut the ropes and I rubbed my sore wrists trying to sooth them.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem. Let's get out of here," Jim replied, holding out his hand for me.

I took it and he pulled me to my feet. I bent over and picked up the locket from the floor, which was still projecting holographic images.

I closed it and held it in my hand. Jim looked at me questioningly.

"Let's go find a teacher first," I said.

Jim and I ran out of the room and went up to the first teacher we saw. We explained what had happened and we were brought to the principal's office to explain it again. We were in there for several hours, and they brought Jaegar in to question him. He didn't lie, and admitted to everything. He was suspended for a week, and would have detention for a month.

Jim and I were finally dismissed and we headed silently back to my room. We stopped outside my door, and he looked at me while I studied my feet.

"So you opened the locket," he asked, though it was more of a statement.

I nodded my head.

"So…" he prompted.

"It's familiar, but it's like I'm watching something that I saw happen to someone else," I explained.

"I see," he said, disappointed.

We stood there for a while longer.

"Well, I guess I better go. See ya around," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait," I said.

He stopped and glanced at me over his shoulder.

"I-I want to…try something…" I said slowly.

Jim turned around completely and looked me in the eyes.

I slowly stepped forward until I was only a few inches from Jim. I looked up into his eyes. I couldn't figure out the mix of emotions swirling around in them. It was enough to make me lose my resolve.

Just as I was about to step away, Jim closed the distance between us. He placed his lips on mine and pulled me close by wrapping his arms around my waist.

I was shocked, and I stared at Jim with wide eyes. His eyes were closed and he placed his hand behind my head to make sure that I wouldn't pull away. I closed my eyes and let myself feel the kiss.

As soon as I did, fireworks exploded behind my eyes.

With each firework, pieces of my life came back to me. Every lost memory came rushing back into my mind. I wrapped my arms around Jim's neck, determined to make the kiss last until every single memory was regained.

When I finally pulled away, Jim stared into my eyes, searching for anything that may answer the question he was too afraid to ask.

I looked into his eyes and embraced him, standing up on my toes to reach his head.

"I remember," I whispered into his ear.

He pulled back and stared into my eyes, not quite believing me. I looked back into his and smiled, assuring him that I truly remembered everything.

He smiled and grabbed me around the waist, spinning me around, causing me to laugh joyously.

He set me down and we kissed once more, enjoying each other as we hadn't for a long time.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**Yeah! Raphaelle has finally remembered who Jim is! **

**All it took was a kiss. **

**But the story is not over yet. There is more to come. **

**Check out deviantart for the book project. **

**Leave a review! **

**You guys make everything worthwhile! **


	20. Chapter 20

Life at the Academy

Chapter 20

After I regained my memories, things returned to normal, almost.

Roxanne continued to glare at me, and now she was glaring at Jim, but I didn't care about her anymore. She wasn't a threat to me, and I realized that now.

Jaegar couldn't come within twenty yards of me without a teacher watching his every move. Everyone in school knew about the incident, so whenever we were in the same room, everyone's eyes were on us, waiting to see if anything would happen.

The end of the year was fast approaching, and the End of Year Formal was on everyone's mind.

The End of Year Formal was a big dance with a different theme each year. Our first year the theme had been Moonlight in Paradise. The huge cafeteria had been transformed into a midnight beach scene, with an artificial bonfire and everything, and everyone went to the dance dressed in beach clothes. Last year the theme had been Garden of Enchantment. The decorations were a huge garden with artificial flowers and bushes, and a maze had been constructed outdoors. Some people had come dressed as magical creatures, while others just came in regular clothes. I had dressed up as a fairy, and Jim just came in regular clothes. None of the other dances had really been formals, but there was a rumor that this year's theme was really good.

And the rumor was true. The morning the theme was released, there was a huge crowd clustered around the poster at the front of the school. When I finally made it to the front of the crowd, I stared at the colorful poster and the words written upon it.

I squealed and grabbed a mini flyer from a stack underneath the poster and ran off. When I found Jim, I jumped up and down and he tried to calm me down. I showed him the flyer and he read over it, a serious look on his face. I looked at him expectantly when he finished reading the flyer. He gave me a small smile and a kiss on the cheek, and I babbled away about what we were going to wear.

That night, Jennifer, Nerita, Iris, Angela, Adelaide and I had a sleepover and we discussed the dance.

"So how about this year's theme?" Nerita said.

"I know!" I replied. "It's so cool!"

"A masquerade ball is the greatest theme ever!" Angela said.

"And the whole opposite thing sounds like a lot of fun," Adelaide added.

"I'm a little confused about the theme," Iris said.

"Let me read the flyer to you," I said, pulling the flyer off of my night table.

"_The Annual Interstellar Academy End of Year Formal Presents "The Masquerade Ball." Everyone is required to have a costume and a mask to conceal your identity. Couples come in opposite themes,"_ I read.

"So if you have a date, you're supposed to come in opposite costumes?" Iris asked.

"Yep. It's gonna be so much fun!" Nerita exclaimed.

"So what are you guys gonna go as?" Jennifer asked.

"Well, I want to-" Nerita started.

"Wait! Let's not tell each other. Let's make it a surprise and we'll see each other's costumes the night of the dance," I said.

"Good idea," Adelaide said.

"What if you don't find a date?" Iris asked.

"Come in any costume. You can pick a simple color or something that another person without a date could easily consider an opposite," Jennifer said.

I can't remember what we talked about for the rest of the night. I was too busy trying to think of good costume ideas for Jim and me. I wanted to do something that no one else would think of. But I was finding it quite difficult to come up with something good.

I spent half of the next day brainstorming. Then the perfect idea came to me. I grabbed my empty sketchbook and started drawing the costumes and accessories from all angles. After I was sure everything was perfect, I ran off to find Jim and show him my idea.

I knocked on his door and he opened it.

"Are you alone?" I asked, peeking into the room.

"Yeah, why?" he asked, opening the door for me to come in.

"Because I have an idea for what we can wear to the Masquerade Ball and I want to keep it a secret," I answered, walking into the room.

Jim shut the door and sat down on his bed. I sat down next to him and placed my book in my lap, opening it to the first page. Jim stared at the sketches, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He took the book from my lap and flipped through the pages, studying each one for a long time before turning to the next one.

When he finished and looked at me, I looked at him expectantly. For a moment, I thought he hated the idea. But then a small smile broke out on his face.

"I think this is a great idea," he said.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him.

"I'm so glad you like it!" I exclaimed.

"I love it! We'll go into town and get the tailor to make our outfits tomorrow," Jim answered.

"Perfect! We're gonna have the best costumes at the ball!" I exclaimed.

"I'll see you tomorrow. I gotta get my homework done today if I want to spend the whole day in town," he said.

"Okay. I'll bring some gold from my stash to pay for everything. It's gonna be expensive," I said.

The next day, Jim and I headed into town to show our designs to the tailor and get our measurements done. The tailor made copies of my sketches to make sure they got all the details right.

After our measurements were done, Jim and I went to a jewelry shop to have my accessories done. They had to be custom made and were really expensive, but it was worth it. The jeweler also made copies of some of my sketches to make sure everything was perfect. We did the same thing at a few other shops until everything was taken care of. Everything would be done in a week, but the ball wasn't for another two weeks, so everything worked out perfectly. A lot of people went to the tailor's to have costumes made, so they were in high demand and working hard to have everything done before the ball, but we got our order in early, so ours would be some of the first ones to be finished.

Jim and I went back after a week to make sure all the measurements were correct. We were fitted in separate rooms, so we didn't see how the other looked. Everything was perfect and we took our costumes in bags, preventing anyone else from seeing them. We picked up our accessories and headed back to the Academy, hiding our costumes from everyone.

After that, everyone anxiously waited for the night of the dance to arrive.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**A Masquerade Ball! So fun! I'm sure your all excited to hear about everyone's costumes! Especially Jim and Raphaelle's. I have personally kept it a secret so that its even more awesome when you find out what they are dressed as.**

**So I think there may only be one more chapter after this. I don't have anything to add after the dance. The school year will be over, and everything will be resolved. **

**That is, unless you guys have anything you think i could add in the last chapter or put before/after it. Something you wanted to see but I didn't think of. Just incase the story could have something that really makes it top-notch that I left out or never thought of. **

**If not, then there will only be one more chapter. And I didn't have to go back and change a bunch of stuff like the last two times! Yeah! **

**Check out the deviantart book project. **

**Leave a review please! **


	21. Chapter 21

Life at the Academy

Chapter 21

I was getting ready for the big dance. I had just washed my hair, and it was wrapped up in a towel. I was wearing a robe and applying my make-up in front of my mirror.

I saw Jim open the door behind me. He wasn't dressed yet, and I frowned at him in the mirror.

"What are you doing? I'm still getting ready, and you should be too," I said.

"I don't take as long to get dressed, remember," he said, smiling at me.

"True," I admitted, giving him a smile. "So what's up?"

"I just got a letter from Silver," Jim said, holding up an envelope.

I put my make-up down and moved to sit down on the bed, where Jim sat down next to me. Jim opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

We read the familiar handwriting silently.

_Jimbo and Raphaelle,_

_I'm glad dat everyt'ing has returned ta normal with teh two of yeh. I knew dat yeh would remember everyt'ing, lass. T'is hard ta forget someone like Jimbo. _

_T'ings 'ave been fine wit me. I've been staying outta trouble, keepin' a low profile. No one has been searchin' for me very hard, but yeh can never be too careful. _

_I'm hoping dat I'll be able ta see teh both of yeh soon, but I still need ta be careful. I will try an' drop by as soon as t'ings are safe enough ta risk it. _

_Have fun at yer big dance. Be sure ta send me some pictures. _

_Give me love ta Morphy!_

_-Silver_

I smiled after finishing the letter. Jim gave me a little one-armed hug as he folded the letter back up.

"I miss him," I said, wrapping my arms around his middle.

"I know. But don't worry. We'll see him again," he reassured me.

We sat there hugging for a little while longer. Then I let him go and stood up from the bed.

"Now, I need to finish getting ready, and you need to go get dressed," I told him.

"Alright, alright! I'm going," he said as I shoved him out the door.

"See you later," I said as I stood in the doorway.

"See you," he answered right before I closed the door.

I finished getting ready took a quick look in the mirror before heading out. Jim and I were going to meet at the entrance to the cafeteria, though now it was a ballroom.

I waited behind a curtain where we had agreed to meet.

The curtain parted to reveal my now costumed boyfriend.

Jim was wearing a white puffy shirt with a slightly open low neck, revealing his chest. Above the shirt was a black vest, buttoned up to cover most of the front of the white shirt. He had on dark grey pants and a pair of dark brown boots that came up to the middle of his calf. He had a large belt holding up his pants, and a red sash was wound around his middle, above and below the belt. The rest of it fluttered beside him. Hanging from his belt was a beautifully crafted curved sword, with a gold hilt and a small ruby inlaid into the handle. Atop his head was a beautiful black three cornered hat that had a white feather sticking up out of it. His hair was pulled back into his signature braided ponytail, and he had reapplied his gold hoop to his ear.

My jaw dropped in shock. Even though I had designed the outfit, I hadn't expected it to look so perfect on him. He looked absolutely amazing.

I noticed his jaw was also hanging open slightly. But he recovered quickly and smiled at me.

"You look beautiful," he said.

I smiled and blushed, looking down at the ground.

I was wearing a royal blue ball gown with a large puffy skirt. The top of the skirt was covered in a see-through clear fabric decorated with small rhinestone stars and swirly patterns. The top was the same, and stopped just above my chest. My shoulders were bare, but I had sleeves that started just under my shoulder. They were tight around my upper arm, but became looser as they went down. By the time they ended at my wrists, they were billowy and hung down a bit. My hair was curled into ringlets, and because my hair had grown out, they stopped just above the middle of my back. Atop my head was a delicate rhinestone tiara. My locket was around my neck as usual, but I had switched out the chain for a shorter one, so that it was higher up on my neck. Finishing off my outfit was a pair of blue rhinestone earrings.

"Thanks. You look amazing too," I said.

"Ready to go in?" he asked.

"Yep. Masks on," I said.

I pulled on a delicate silver mask over my eyes, and Jim put on a simple black one similar to mine.

He offered me his arm, which I took, and we walked out from the curtain and into the ballroom.

It was absolutely gorgeous. The room had been transformed into a ballroom fit for a palace. The room was covered in gold's and silver's, and the tables were decorated with colorful platters of food. The music was currently modern, and the lights gave the room an ethereal glow.

As Jim and I searched for our friends, everyone kept turning to look at us. I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, but Jim gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. I smiled at him and held my head high.

The first person I saw was Jennifer. I recognized her tall figure and pulled Jim over to her. I touched her shoulder and she turned around and smiled at me. She was wearing a short black dress, and a fake black tail hung from underneath it in the back. A black cat mask covered in silk hid most of her face. Her hair was pulled into an elaborate bun high above her head. A black choker with a little gold bell hung from her neck.

"Raphaelle! Jim! Oh my goodness! You both look amazing!" she said.

"Thanks! You look great too. Who's your date?" I asked.

"Austin," she replied.

I looked at the person next to her, and noticed that it was indeed Austin. He was dressed in a costume very similar to Jennifer's, except it was brown and he was wearing pants and a long-sleeved shirt. He was clearly dressed as a dog.

"I didn't know you guys were dating?" I stated.

"We're not. We just came as friends. When I found out the theme was opposites, I figured we could go without having to really dress up that much. We already are opposites," she explained.

"Genius," I giggled.

"Have you seen anyone else?" Jim asked.

"Yeah. They're all at that table over there. They saved us some seats. Let's go," Jennifer said.

We walked over to a table right next to the dance floor.

Everyone turned to look at us. Gaps of awe and compliments of how great Jim and I looked bounced around until I couldn't tell who was speaking.

When they finally stopped, I took in their costumes.

Nerita was dressed in a very revealing outfit. She had a gold scale-design tank top and short skirt. Her midriff was exposed, but she was wearing full body fish-net suit underneath, so it didn't look as bare as it was. Her legs and arms were covered in the gold fish-net leggings, and she had on a pair of golden high-heels. Her seaweed-like hair was braided into little corn-rows, and small golden ribbons were weaved into each one. A golden mask covered her eyes up to her forehead. The gold of her outfit and the green of her skin created an exotic look.

"Nerita! You look great! What are you supposed to be?" I asked.

"I'm a fish," she said.

"Oh! I see. So who's your date?" I asked.

"This is Oriole," she said, pulling a golden figure up next to her.

Oriole was clearly a bird creature. He had golden feathers all over his body, and his mouth was a bird beak. He had on golden suit, and his mask was feathered and blended in so well with his other feathers that it almost wasn't there.

"So he's dressed like a bird?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm a fish and he's a bird. Those are totally opposite," Nerita stated.

"It's really cool," I said.

I turned to look at Adelaide and Iris.

Adelaide currently sported an Asian look. Her jet black hair was short and a bit of it was held up in a bun above her head, and two ruby red chopsticks poked out of it. She had a short red traditional Cheongsam, and a large sash around her waist formed a huge bow behind her back. I could see a fan poking out of the sash. She had simple, but elegant, flip flops on her feet.

"Adelaide! You look beautiful! That look really suits you," I told her.

She smiled at me and blushed a little.

Iris was wearing a dress with a large skirt with many ruffled layers. It was orange and brown, and her top was decorated in fake leaves. There was a clip of leaves pulling back her currently auburn hair. A simple orange mask covered eyes, which to my surprise were green. I noticed her nails were a burnt orange color.

"Iris. You look so pretty. And your hair and eyes are different!" I stated.

"Yeah. I've been working on my control, with help from Adelaide of course," she said.

"Well you look great. What are you?" I asked.

"I'm Autumn. I don't have a date, but I really liked this idea," she explained.

I turned to look at Gabriel and Angela, who were dressed quite extravagantly.

Gabriel had on loose white pants, and a loose whited long-sleeved tunic with large sleeves and a white sash. The back had a special opening for his wings, which were currently folded behind him. His long blonde hair was held back in his usual low ponytail. His eyes were covered by a simple plain white mask.

Angela stood out quite a bit. She wore a silver, futuristic dress that stopped just above her knees and hugged her body. Her dress also had an opening in the back, so her wings were free. The collar, hem, and edges of the sleeves of her dress were a bright white, which stood out against the metallic silver. Her high heeled shoes were the same bright white. Her long blonde hair was held out of her face by a silver metallic headband, and her eyes were covered by a silver and white futuristic mask. The costume was beautiful, and her mechanical arm and wing looked like they were part of the costume.

"Wow! You guys look amazing! What exactly are you guys dressed as?" I asked.

"Ancient and modern. It was Gabriel's idea," Angela said.

"Yeah. I wanted to incorporate our wings somehow, and I wanted to make sure Angela was comfortable with showing her wing. This was the perfect way," Gabriel explained.

"Well you look great," I said.

"Enough about us! I can't get over your costumes! They're amazing!" Nerita said.

"What exactly are you guys supposed to be?" Iris asked.

"I'm a pirate," Jim started.

"And I'm a princess," I finished.

"Now that is creative," Gabriel said.

"Really cool. I would have never thought of that," Jennifer said.

"Thanks. Now let's get out there on the dance floor," I said.

"Not yet. We're gonna eat first," Adelaide said.

"Okay. You want to eat first, Jim?" I asked.

"Sure. Why not?" he said.

We took our seats and waited for our food to show up.

While I was eating, I noticed a couple out on the floor.

A girl in an icy blue dress was out dancing with a boy in bright red and orange clothes. The girl's dress was long and almost touched the ground. Small beads hung down from her top and sleeves. Her black hair hung loosely around her, but I could make out icicles dangling from her ears. A pearl drop necklace hung down over her sternum, but instead of a pearl, there was a pointed piece of crystal that looked like an icicle. Perched on top of her head was a crown that almost appeared to be fashioned out of ice. Her mask was the same icy blue as her dress, and small beads hung down from the sides as well. I looked into the girls eyes and found a shocking green that stood out against the icy blue.

It was Roxanne.

I looked at her partner and tried to figure out who it was. The boy was wearing a suit of red and orange flames. Everything had a flame like pattern to it. His mask shimmered when he turned, adding to the effect that he was on fire. I recognized his eyes instantly once I looked at them.

It was Jaegar.

They were dancing together, but neither of them was smiling. They didn't look angry or anything, but they didn't seem ecstatic to be in each other's arms.

I stared at the two for a while longer, then turned to face Jim.

"Ready to dance?" I asked him.

"Let's go," he said.

We all got up from out table and headed out to the dance floor.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Well, this chapter was a lot longer than I thought it would be. **

**Because of how long it was, I will be adding another chapter, so this is not the final one. **

**Sorry it took so long to get up. I've had a busy week, but it's finally the 4 day weekend! **

**I will definetly be finishing this story this weekend! **

**Hope I described the costumes well! I really tried my hardest to be really descriptive! Let me know how I did! **

**Check out deviantart for the book project and look in my favorites for the art that has already been completed! **

**Leave a review please! **


	22. Chapter 22

Life at the Academy

Chapter 22

Jim and I danced for a long time on the dance floor. They hadn't played a slow song yet, so we danced to folk songs and modern songs that I had never heard before.

Finally a slow song came on, and everyone grabbed their partners and pulled them close.

Jim and I danced for a short while, but then someone tapped Jim on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked.

It was Jaegar.

Jim frowned slightly, and looked at me for confirmation. I nodded my head slightly. He handed me off to Jaegar and we danced closely. I kept myself as far away from him as possible, but it was still too close for my comfort. I looked over and found Jim dancing uncomfortably with Roxanne. He was unsuccessfully trying to keep her a distance away from him.

"You look great," Jaegar said to me.

"Thanks," I muttered.

He spun me around a bit. I got dizzy as I tried to keep my eyes on Jim.

"You know, you could still go out with me," he whispered.

"No," I said curtly.

"Why won't you just give me a chance?" he said, a little angrily.

"Because I already found the one I want to be with forever," I replied.

"You really think he's the one?" he asked, a little skeptical.

"No. I don't think he's the one," I said.

He looked at me questioningly, not understanding my contradicting statement.

"I know he's the one," I finished.

He frowned at me, and his eyes became slits. A threatening hiss emanated from him, and for a moment I was afraid he might attack me again.

But luckily someone came to my rescue.

"Can I cut in?" a voice said.

I expected it to be Jim, but was surprised to find Gabriel standing next to me.

Jaegar silently passed me over to Gabriel and left to go dance with Roxanne, who was no longer dancing with Jim.

"Thanks," I said, as Gabriel and I started dancing.

It wasn't as awkward as dancing with Jaegar, but we didn't stand very close.

"You looked like you could use some help," he replied, giving me his flirty smile.

"Where's Angela?" I asked.

"Dancing with Jim," he replied.

I looked over at Jim, and sure enough, he was dancing with Angela.

The song ended, and Jim and Angela walked over to us.

"Thanks for helping me out there," I said to Gabriel.

"No problem," he answered.

Jim took my arm and we sat down at the table to take a break.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I was just really uncomfortable," I said.

"I'm not letting anyone else dance with you for the rest of the night," he said, though he had a small smile on his lips.

Just then, a fourth year came up and asked me to dance.

I looked at Jim and gave him a smile.

"Good luck with that," I said, taking the boys hand and moving to the dance floor.

I danced for a long time, getting passed off from boy to boy. I danced to all sorts of music.

Finally, another slow song came up, and I looked up to see who my next partner was. I was surprised to find it was Jim.

"Might I have this dance?" he asked, giving me a bow.

I smiled and curtsied.

"But of course," I replied.

He pulled me close and we swayed slowly back and forth to the music. I recognized it as the very same song that we had first slow danced to, the night the BenBow Inn had reopened. I smiled at the fond memory.

"Can you believe the year is already over?" Jim asked.

"Yeah. Seems like just yesterday we were boarding the ship from Montressor," I replied.

"This certainly has been quite a year," he responded.

"It has been pretty crazy," I said.

"I guess that's life," Jim stated.

"At least at the Academy," I said.

The song ended, and Jim and I walked over to the table where the rest of our friends were.

"This year has been great!" Iris said.

The dance was coming to a close, and tomorrow we would all start packing to go home.

"Quite a way to start off your first year," Jennifer added.

"I keep trying to think of a word to describe this year, but I can't grasp it. I feel like it's right there, on the tip of my tongue," Angela stated.

"I know what that word is," I said.

Everyone turned to look at me expectantly.

"Unforgettable," I finished.

Everyone smiled and nodded their heads in agreement. I looked up at Jim, who chuckled a bit, understanding the irony of my statement.

But it was the perfect word. It had truly been an unforgettable year.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**All right, the final chapter. I know I was a little cheesy there at the end, but it had to be done. **

**Though this story is over, there is more to come. A fourth and final story is coming. I hope you all will be as enthusiastic about it as you have been about the other stories. **

**I would like to thank all of you for being such amazing readers and leaving review. I would like to give special thanks to some of my biggest supporters here on fanfiction: EventHorizon6 and TMNTdisneyfan2013.**

**Even if I didn't put your name here, I really appreciate you all. The two listed above have been here supporting me since before I even started writing. I appreciate you all and would like to give you all recognition, but I would have a really long list here, and it would take forever. **

**I love all of you guys! Stay Awesome!**

**Please leave a review! I want to know all your favorite parts from the story! **

**Check out deviantart for the art project and some art that has already been drawn. **

**Stay Tuned! **


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